Apple Negotiates with News Publishers to Develop Generative AI Systems Using Their Content
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According to The New York Times, four people familiar with the negotiations revealed that Apple has recently begun discussions with major news and publishing organizations, aiming to obtain permission to use their materials for developing generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
These insiders revealed that Apple proposed a multi-year agreement worth at least $50 million to license news article archives. The individuals chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the negotiations. News organizations approached by Apple include Condé Nast (publisher of Vogue and The New Yorker), NBC News, and IAC.
These negotiations represent one of Apple's earliest attempts to catch up with competitors in the field of generative AI development. This technology, referred to by AI experts as neural networks, is built by identifying patterns through the use of vast amounts of photos or digital text. For example, by analyzing thousands of cat photos, a computer can learn to recognize cats.
Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, and Meta have released chatbots and other products built using this technology. These tools could change how people work and generate billions in sales.
The response from news and publishing organizations appears mixed. The New York Times reported that publishers might "bear any legal liability arising from Apple's use of their content," and Apple has apparently been "vague" about its news and generative AI plans. However, other news executives are reportedly more positive about potential collaborations with Apple.
Compared to competitors like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google, Apple's recent efforts in artificial intelligence have not been the focus of attention. However, the company is clearly striving to catch up, reportedly spending millions of dollars daily on AI. Recently, Apple released a machine learning framework designed to build models that perform well on Apple chips and is working to optimize the ability to run LLMs on mobile devices. According to Bloomberg, Apple is developing an improved version of Siri and plans to introduce AI-focused features in the next major iOS update.
Apple is not the first company to collaborate with news agencies on artificial intelligence work; OpenAI has already signed agreements with news organizations.
Beyond the copyright issues arising from extensive web scraping, OpenAI's ChatGPT has also faced criticism for the accuracy of its displayed information. By training AI models on more targeted datasets, Apple may ultimately deliver more reliable products. Reports suggest Apple plans to incorporate AI-generated features in its apps, so a model trained on news content could potentially be integrated into Apple News.
The New York Times reports that Apple executives have been "debating" how to acquire data needed for generative AI products. Due to its privacy focus, Apple has been reluctant to scrape information from the internet, making deals with news publishers an alternative solution.