Apple is reportedly engaging in discussions with prominent news publishers to obtain licensing rights to their archives as part of its effort to train its generative AI systems. The New York Times reveals that these negotiations entail multiyear deals worth at least $50 million. The tech giant has reached out to publishing powerhouses like Condé Nast, NBC News, and IAC. However, the response from publishers has been mixed, with some expressing concerns over potential legal liabilities, as well as ambiguity regarding Apple’s plans for news and generative AI. While Apple, Condé Nast, NBC News, and IAC have not yet commented on the matter, other news executives have shown enthusiasm about the prospect of collaborating with Apple.
Although Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) endeavors have not gained as much attention as those of its competitors, such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google, the company is dedicated to catching up. It is reported that Apple is investing millions of dollars each day into AI development. The tech giant recently released a machine learning framework designed to optimize the performance of models on Apple Silicon, and it is currently working on enhancing the capabilities of running large language models (LLMs) on mobile devices. Moreover, Bloomberg has disclosed that a new and improved version of Siri is in the works, and Apple plans to introduce AI-focused features in its next major iOS release.
Apple’s potential partnership with news organizations to further its AI initiatives is not without precedence. OpenAI, for instance, has already secured agreements with the Associated Press and Politico parent company Axel Springer, utilizing their news stories to train its AI models. Similarly, Google has expressed its commitment to developing AI-powered tools that aid journalists in their work.
While Apple’s discussions with news publishers regarding licensing their archives for AI training present exciting opportunities, publishers remain cautious due to concerns over legal responsibilities and Apple’s future plans in the field. Despite these reservations, news executives have displayed a positive attitude towards potential collaborations with the technology giant. As Apple continues to invest significant resources into AI research and development, it aims to strengthen its position in the AI landscape and deliver innovative AI-powered experiences to its users.
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