Apple's Potential Partners for iOS 18 Generative AI Features Include Google, OpenAI, and Baidu

Apple has held discussions with Baidu about using the Chinese company's generative AI model to power some of the iPhone's rumored generative AI features, according to The Wall Street Journal. As previously reported, Apple is also said to have held similar discussions with Google and OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot.

iOS 18 Mock Siri Feature Baubles
If these partnerships move forward, it is likely that Baidu would power some of Apple's generative AI features in China, while other companies like Google or OpenAI would serve as partners in the U.S. and other countries. China requires generative AI models to receive local regulatory approval, and Baidu's Ernie chatbot is on the approved list, but Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbots are not available in the country.

Apple has repeatedly teased that it has generative AI announcements to share later this year, and this likely refers to iOS 18. The software update is rumored to include new generative AI features for a range of iPhone features and apps, including Siri, Spotlight, Apple Music, Health, Messages, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, Shortcuts, and more.

iPhone 16 models are rumored to feature an upgraded Neural Engine with "significantly" more cores, which could result in some of iOS 18's generative AI features being exclusive to those models. iPhone 15 models have a 16-core Neural Engine.

iOS 18 will be previewed at Apple's developers conference WWDC in June, so we're just a few months away from learning about these generative AI plans.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
ios 19 messages app

Here's What Apple's iOS 19 Messages App Might Look Like

Tuesday March 25, 2025 11:52 am PDT by
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a mockup of what he says the Messages app will look like in iOS 19, demoing an interface with rounded, translucent bubble-shaped navigation buttons at the top and softer, rounder corners for the keyboard and word suggestions. Jon Prosser's Messages app mockup The return button, a button for going back to the Messages list, and the FaceTime button have a deeper...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

Gurman: Jon Prosser's iOS 19 Mockups 'Aren't Representative' of Redesign

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:47 pm PDT by
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media. According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June." Gurman made the same comment ...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Again Rumored to Feature visionOS-Like 'Glassy' Design

Tuesday March 25, 2025 3:25 pm PDT by
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a "first look" at Apple's upcoming iOS 19 update, providing mockups of what different apps and features will supposedly look like. Prosser claims the mockups are based on "the real deal" version of iOS 19 that he has seen, but says he is sharing replica images in order to prevent his sources from getting into trouble. Confusingly, Prosser's video features some ...

Top Rated Comments

c84216 Avatar
13 months ago
Maybe I don't know better but this is starting to sound like SherlockAI. Not Apple's own AI but something that aggregates results from other AI engines to give you the best selection.

On another note I've complete de-Googleified after some of what I've learned about them. I do not want their AI model hoovering up data from my supposedly "privacy"-tilting phone.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
13 months ago
Can’t help but think that this all sounds rushed. Another year of announcing features that barely make it in time for the next WWDC while basic features take a back seat.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Steve121178 Avatar
13 months ago
You'd surely think all this would have been well & truly resolved by now and software engineers would be busy integrating whatever partner they chose into iOS 18/macOS 15 rather than shoehorning it in at the last minute or via a 18.3 software update or whatever.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
13 months ago

I thought Apple is making their own AI? So why partner with others?
They spent all their time and money on the vaporware car and snorkel pro and now it's hard to catch up. I hope these partnerships will be temporary.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hoorayforhollywood Avatar
13 months ago
I know this is likely hugely complex, but is this the jist of it: Apple 'teased' numerous times it is has AI stuff to announce this year with iOS 18, and presumably the M4 chip. And is now going around all the people who have existing AI stuff to do deals? Think about that. That's WEAK.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Steve121178 Avatar
13 months ago

Maybe I don't know better but this is starting to sound like SherlockAI. Not Apple's own AI but something that aggregates results from other AI engines to give you the best selection.

On another note I've complete de-Googleified after some of what I've learned about them. I do not want their AI model hoovering up data from my supposedly "privacy"-tilting phone.
You don't even need a Google account for them to hoover up your data. Your profile was built via all the advertising you have been served & the analytics associated with that.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)