Apple not to move ahead with Meta AI due to privacy concerns ...
A recent report has cleared the air around the tie-up of Apple and Meta. The meetup has been making the headlines, indicating that there are chances that Apple will integrate Meta AI into the upcoming iPhones.
However, recently, Bloomberg revealed that the meetup was done months ago and the idea had been dropped then and there. Apple had a brief talk with Meta about the possibility of a partnership, but it is not new. According to the report, the talk took place when Apple was venturing out into several companies to explore integration of their models with Apple devices.
Privacy Concerns and Rejection of Meta AI
Later, during WWDC 2024, the tech giant confirmed the integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in their devices. Apple did not shelve the idea of Meta AI in their devices without a reason. Bloomberg reported that Apple rejected the proposal due to privacy concerns. It was also reported that Apple did not like the idea of tying up with a social networking company. The tech giant was also concerned about their image, and it looks like Meta is not what they were looking for.
Moreover, by then, Meta had been criticised heavily for its privacy practices. While Meta might not be exclusive to Apple, the company will rely on its own apps. Meta has recently announced that its artificial intelligence, Meta AI, is rolling out and will be available for all Indian users. Meta AI will be available in English across the company's apps - WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. The chatbot has rolled out in more than 12 countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Integration with ChatGPT and User Control
During WWDC 2024, Apple disclosed that it will integrate ChatGPT into its iOS, iPadOS, and macOS platforms, offering users seamless access to ChatGPT's capabilities without the need to switch between different tools. This integration will enhance the user experience by providing advanced image and document understanding features directly within Apple’s ecosystem.
Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, will also benefit from this integration. It will be able to utilise ChatGPT’s intelligence to answer user queries more effectively. Importantly, users will have control over this feature, as they will be asked for permission before any questions, documents, or photos are sent to ChatGPT. Once consent is given, Siri will present the answers directly to the users.
Privacy Safeguards and User Consent
After the integration of iOS 18 with ChatGPT, Apple will not have much control over how the chatbot works. After outsourcing the iOS 18 chatbot, there will be fewer privacy safeguards Apple can build in than what could be provided if they created their own chatbot. Hence, the move to give users control makes more sense.
Other AI features of iOS 18, however, will be built entirely by Apple and thus users can take more comfort in whatever privacy narrative, the company says.
