According to Bloomberg sources, Apple and Meta did not discuss a collaboration regarding Meta's Llama chatbot, but only held brief talks in March. The dialogue about a partnership did not reach any formal stage, and Apple has no plans to integrate Llama.

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Apple doesn't want to use Meta's AI chatbot for the iPhone. Photo: Bloomberg.

These preliminary talks occurred around the time Apple began exploring agreements to use OpenAI's ChatGPT and Alphabet's Gemini in its products. Earlier this month, the iPhone maker announced a partnership with OpenAI and plans to offer Gemini in the future.

According to sources, Apple did not proceed with formal discussions with Meta partly because it perceived Facebook's parent company's security practices as insufficient. Apple has criticized Meta's technology for years, so bringing Llama to the iPhone would go against this.

Furthermore, Apple also views ChatGPT as a more premium option. Meanwhile, Google – which is already a search partner on the Safari browser – will base its future agreements with Gemini on their existing relationship.

At the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple introduced the Apple Intelligence suite of artificial intelligence features. These include tools the company developed itself to summarize notifications, convert notes to text, and create custom emojis.

However, Apple's chatbot technology isn't as advanced as its competitors', forcing the company to seek partners. The company also believes that customers will want to be able to choose between different chatbots based on their needs, similar to how they switch between Google and Bing for searches.

Apple is also in talks with startup Anthropic to add another chatbot, according to Bloomberg. Apple Intelligence will roll it out later this year as part of the iOS 18 operating system.

Media reports indicate that Apple didn't pay to bring ChatGPT to the iPhone, but they will allow customers to pay for a subscription directly in iOS 18, generating revenue for the software developer. At the same time, Apple also receives a commission from the App Store.

About 10 years ago, the relationship between Apple and Meta became more friendly when Tim Cook's company integrated Facebook into iOS. However, the two have become rivals in recent years in several areas such as AI, smart homes, and mixed reality headsets.

(According to Bloomberg)