- Did Apple and Meta talk about an AI deal? Or is there no AI deal taking place between Apple and Meta?
- Sure! Most likely. Perhaps.
- You will get at the actual reply by parsing two contradictory reviews from The Wall Road Journal and Bloomberg.
Information: Apple has talked to Meta, its fierce rival, about an AI deal.
Additionally information: Apple is not speaking to Meta about an AI deal, as a result of Meta is a fierce rival.
Which one among these tales is true? Technically, it is potential for each of them to be right.
My hunch, although, is that the second is truthier: Apple and Meta aren’t doing something collectively on AI — or anything — anytime quickly.
Some background: On Sunday, The Wall Road Journal revealed a report that mentioned Meta and Apple had “held discussions” about connecting Apple’s units to Meta’s AI engine, just like a deal it has already struck with OpenAI.
The important thing right here is the tense: The Journal mentioned the 2 firms had talked, which is fairly noteworthy, on condition that they have been combating for years. However the paper did not give any sense of whether or not these talks had been ongoing or headed anyplace.
Then on Monday, Bloomberg reported its personal model of the story: Sure, the 2 firms had talked — however that was months in the past, and nothing’s taking place or going to occur.
Not solely that, however individuals at Tim Prepare dinner’s firm wished to be clear about their stance re: Mark Zuckerberg’s operation, telling Bloomberg (anonymously) that Apple would not work with Meta “partially as a result of it does not see that firm’s privateness practices as stringent sufficient.” Zing!
It isn’t unimaginable to stroll again that messaging. Apple’s clear technique right here is to behave as a gatekeeper between its customers and varied AI firms. And it is potential that in some unspecified time in the future Meta might be a kind of firms, in the identical method that Apple clients use iPhones to entry Fb, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Apple reps have not responded to a request for remark, and Meta declined to remark. However Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, reposted the Bloomberg story to Threads on Tuesday and quipped, “Their loss.”
So that is the what-does-it-all-mean angle glad: There’s in all probability not lots there.
However when you’re an individual who will get a kick out of feuds (raises hand), then this story has some bonus pettiness: Not solely can we get to observe Apple individuals (anonymously) dump on Meta individuals, we get to observe the usually civil tech press dump on one another’s reporting. Enjoyable!