Apple iOS 18: Will Google’s Gemini or OpenAI Power iPhone’s AI Capabilities?

Key Takeaways

• Apple is reportedly in talks with Google to integrate Gemini into iOS 18.
• However, the company could also tap one or more of OpenAI’s rival models.
• Meanwhile, the firm’s latest acquisition could help boost iPhone’s capacity for on-device AI tasks.

When Apple releases iOS 18 later this year, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to feature prominently in the next version of the iPhone operating system.But while the operating system is sure to be packed full of new AI features, it isn’t yet known which technology will run under the hood. 

As reported by Bloomberg on Monday, March 18, Apple is in talks with Google about a potential partnership to incorporate the latter’s Gemini Large Language Model (LLM) into iOS 18. But ongoing discussions with OpenAI could also result in one or more of its AI models having a role to play.

Apple Considering Google vs. OpenAI

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that Apple is seeking a partner to power generative AI features that will let iPhone users create text and images.

Considering that Google and OpenAI are 2 of the biggest players in the fields of both text and image generation, it is hardly surprising that Apple is looking to tap at least one of them for their advanced AI capabilities. But the question remains, which one?

With its multimodal design, Google’s Gemini could potentially serve as an engine for both computer vision and natural language processing, essentially killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

But Apple could still decide to split tasks across different models, for example, integrating Gemini as a language model while deploying OpenAI’s DALL-E for image generation.  

In-House AI For On-Phone Tasks

Although the decision to rely on third-party AI models acknowledges the leadership of Google and OpenAI, Apple has also invested heavily in its own AI research.

The Bloomberg report suggested that iOS 18 will make use of proprietary models for on-device applications. Meanwhile, iPhone users will connect to AI services operated by other companies via the internet.

Apple Acquires Darwin AI 

With iOS 18 set to include both cloud-based and on-device AI, Apple’s recent acquisition  of the Canadian developer Darwin AI could significantly boost its capacity for the latter.

As part of the deal, Darwin’s developers will be transferred to Apple’s AI department, where their expertise in creating smaller models that can run on wearables and Internet of Things (IoT) devices will help Apple hone the new operating system’s capacity for point-of-use AI.

About the Author

James Morales

Although his background is in crypto and FinTech news, these days, James likes to roam across CCN’s editorial breadth, focusing mostly on digital technology. Having always been fascinated by the latest innovations, he uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.

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