Apple Wasn't Interested in AI Partnership With Meta Due to Privacy Concerns

[MacRumors]

Apple turned down an AI partnership with Facebook parent company Meta due to privacy concerns, according to a report from Bloomberg. Meta and Apple had a brief discussion about a possible partnership in March, but the talks did not progress and Apple does not plan to integrate Meta's large language model (LLM) into iOS.

Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal suggested that Apple and Meta were in active discussions about integrating Llama, Facebook's LLM, into iOS 18 as part of Apple Intelligence. The report suggested that the discussions were ongoing had not been finalized, but Bloomberg's follow-up indicates Apple never seriously considered a partnership.

Preliminary talks happened at the same time that Apple began discussions with OpenAI and Google parent company Alphabet, but Apple decided not to move on to a more formal discussion because "it doesn't see that company's privacy practices as stringent enough."

Apple did end up signing a deal with OpenAI, and ChatGPT will be integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Users can opt-in to ChatGPT, with Siri able to hand some requests off to the more sophisticated AI model. Apple is also working on a deal with Google to integrate Gemini into its operating systems, and it is holding discussions with AI company Anthropic.

At WWDC, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that Apple wants to provide users with a choice between different AI models, with the company planning to establish deals with multiple providers.

Article Link: Apple Wasn't Interested in AI Partnership With Meta Due to Privacy Concerns

 

[breenmask]

oh really. mind blowing news /s

 

[JonathanParker]

Had me worried for a minute

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Privacy concerns? Meta? This is my level of shock: 😐

 

[rukia]

It's not as if Meta will completely rewrite their TOS, which lays claim to all user data under the sun, just to cozy up with Apple.

 

[2540497]

Meta is a toxic brand.

 

[fatTribble]

Thank you jeebus! 🥳

 

[dreamerstree]

You can't really have privacy when their entire business model is built upon you not wanting to have any privacy.

 

[dreamerstree]

It would be like Subway telling you they care deeply about healthy and quality ingredients.

 

[CalMin]

I think there's a way to make this work with Apple's private cloud process, but Meta would implement every possible loophole they can come up with ways to start linking the anonymous data back to individuals. I mean I wouldn't trust them even if they contractually promised not to.

Just recently they updated the terms of service on the Meta Quest to just 'collect more data'. No opt-in or out, they just said they were collecting more and that's that. The only option for users is to power down their Quest and put it in the trash. Otherwise you have to accept that they will collect more data. So shady.

 

[sw1tcher]

Apple turned down an AI partnership with Facebook parent company Meta due to privacy concerns, according to a report from Bloomberg. Meta and Apple had a brief discussion about a possible partnership in March, but the talks did not progress and Apple does not plan to integrate Meta's large language model (LLM) into iOS.

Meta should have offered Apple billions to use their AI in the same way Alphabet gives billions to Apple to make Google the default search engine. That's how you get Apple to look the other way when it comes to privacy.

 

[KillerScoregasm]

Every. Single. Company. Will want their own AI, and your data is about to become a lot less yours.

 

[reden]

Imagine your iPhone talking like Zuckerberg 😬

 

[SeaFox]

Imagine your iPhone talking like Zuckerberg 😬

There's no robot voice option now?
I distinctly remember such a voice in Text-to-Speech on the Classic Macintosh OS...

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

They had discussions with Meta and then realised they weren't all about the privacy!?

Looks like a quick bit of PR damage control from Apple

 

[Curry119]

So there will be no llamas.. 🦙

 

[Ilde]

WTH? Meta sniffing all around my iPhone's innards/iCloud? Close call Apple. Keep away!!!!

 

[subjonas]

Meta should have offered Apple billions to use their AI in the same way Alphabet gives billions to Apple to make Google the default search engine. That's how you get Apple to look the other way when it comes to privacy.

Also Meta’s AI would have had to be considerably better than everyone else’s.

 

[flexwithmarius]

But I wanted Meta AI baked into my phone, deeply woven into the depths of the OS mining every last bit and byte of data. So that Meta might finally understand what it means to be human.

 

[macduke]

Here come the regulators...

I'm no fan of Meta, actually really hate them, but going forward Apple needs to just open up these things so if you have the app installed with certain entitlements, you can set it as a default for if Siri is not returning any good results, like ChatGPT will be doing in the future. They could have a "Privacy Verified" list in the Settings panel for it, and then a list of everything else where you can swap in Meta if you install their AI app on your device. Otherwise I fear Apple will be targeted with Antitrust over this. I'm honestly surprised this hasn't happened yet for search engines since you can't use any other search engines aside from the 5 they provide you. Perhaps this is the precedent upon which Apple is drawing. They will have a list of the top 5 for you to pick from, and that's all you get. But the EU will continue to push!

 

[yadmonkey]

Meta should have offered Apple billions to use their AI in the same way Alphabet gives billions to Apple to make Google the default search engine. That's how you get Apple to look the other way when it comes to privacy.

Not nearly the same thing. It's super easy to not use Google on your Apple devices, but AI is being woven into Apple's OS, leaving the user no way out other than leaving the Apple ecosystem.

 

[Realityck]

Apple turned down an AI partnership with Facebook parent company Meta due to privacy concerns, according to a report from Bloomberg. Meta and Apple had a brief discussion about a possible partnership in March, but the talks did not progress and Apple does not plan to integrate Meta's large language model (LLM) into iOS.

Just as well the earlier news didn't fly (below from earlier topic)

Apple has held discussions with Meta about integrating the Facebook owner's AI model into iOS 18 as part of its Apple Intelligence feature set, according to a report over the weekend.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Who at Apple didn’t know this ahead of time?

 

[CookItOff]

What’s up with the WSJ ambiguous article? They knew Apple shot this down in the first ten minutes of talking to Meta but yet left the article open to sound like Apple is seriously considering it. I hate modern journalism.

Also EU, this is why you aren’t getting Apple Intelligence. EU regulators would force Apple to allow Facebook AI integration just like they were trying to force encrypted iMessages to work with Facebook messenger and Whats App. EU walked that one back quickly after the backlash, under the guise of iMessage is too small. lol yeah right EU.

Keep believing EU is looking out for your well fair and not trying to infiltrate your encrypted devices.

 

[djphat2000]

Meta should have offered Apple billions to use their AI in the same way Alphabet gives billions to Apple to make Google the default search engine. That's how you get Apple to look the other way when it comes to privacy.

Not for nothing, but Google's search is the best there is. PLUS, the fact that they paid Apple to be the default. Who in the right mind would not do this?

Where as Meta isn't even being considered and OPTION to be used along side any other Ai that Apple may or may not partner with. Meta's isn't the best, and they are built on making money off of users data. Even if Meta paid Apple to the likes that Google does. I still don't think they would take them up on it.

Like another poster stated "I wouldn't trust them even if they were contractually obligated to NOT steal any data".