Apple reportedly finds Meta’s privacy practices not “stringent enough”, so the AI “truce” is off

iPhone users will not be using Meta’s AI chatbot (Llama), because Apple has problems with its rival’s privacy practices and finds them not “stringent enough”.

This update from Bloomberg‘s Apple expert Mark Gurman completely reverses yesterday’s report from the Wall Street Journal. As you probably know, it claimed that Meta (Facebook’s parent company) has been in discussions with Apple to integrate Meta’s generative AI models into Apple Intelligence, a new AI system for iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks.

OpenAI’s technology is already set for integration into Microsoft and Apple devices, and an Apple-Meta partnership would be notable given their history of conflicts. Apple’s privacy changes in 2021 reportedly cost Meta $10 billion in 2022, and recent disputes include Meta advising advertisers on bypassing Apple’s 30% service charge for boosted posts.

The latest revelations on the matter read that brief talks between Apple and Meta occurred in March but did not progress, and the Cupertino giant has no plans to integrate Llama.

Instead, Apple recently announced the ChatGPT deal and plans to offer Gemini in the future.

Apple’s decision to discontinue the talks with Meta was partly due to concerns about Meta’s privacy practices. Apple has criticized Meta’s technology and prefers ChatGPT, considering it superior. Google, already a partner for search in Apple’s Safari, makes a future Gemini deal more feasible.

On Apple Intelligence

At its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10, Apple introduced AI features under Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence will be available on selected iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices, offering features like email tone adjustment, proofreading, and generating summaries. Priority Notifications uses AI to highlight important personal notifications.

Genmoji allows users to create custom emojis based on descriptions. Image Playground lets users build custom images from words, and Image Wand refines rough sketches into polished images.

Siri has been enhanced with Natural Language understanding and Personal Context. It can interpret user intent even with mistakes and remembers ongoing conversations. Siri can access personal information from emails, texts, and calendars to answer questions, such as checking a family member’s flight status or dinner plans.

Would Apple Intelligence be different with Meta’s help? What do you think?