The ChatGPT integration between OpenAI and Apple, announced last year, seems to have turned into a collaboration that did not meet the expectations of the parties. According to Bloomberg, based on sources familiar with the matter, OpenAI is considering the possibility of taking legal steps against Apple. It is stated that the company is working with an external law firm in this process and is keeping different options on the table, from contract violation notification to official lawsuit. Despite this, a possible official initiative is not expected to take place before the ongoing litigation process with Elon Musk is completed.
The partnership between Apple and OpenAI was first announced at the WWDC event held in June 2024. In this context, ChatGPT was offered as an optional option within Siri and was also integrated into the Visual Intelligence feature of the iPhone. Users could then use their cameras to analyze their surroundings and receive additional information by sending the images they captured to ChatGPT. At that time, it was thought that this collaboration would bring OpenAI a wide user base and significantly increase paid subscription revenues. However, recent developments show that expectations are not met.
According to Bloomberg, OpenAI thinks that ChatGPT features are not visible enough within the Apple ecosystem. It is stated that the company is disturbed by the fact that the integration is difficult for users and that the revenue is well below expectations. In the statement of an OpenAI executive included in the news, it is stated that Apple asked the company to “trust” but the process did not progress as expected. Despite this, Apple also has various reservations. It is said that especially the question marks regarding OpenAI’s data privacy standards and the company’s initiatives on the hardware side create discomfort in Apple management. It is also noteworthy that OpenAI works with former Apple executives, especially Jony Ive, in its hardware studies.
Tensions between Apple and its business partners are not new
Similar tensions between Apple and major technology companies have been brought up before. One of the most striking examples of these was the Google Maps process. Google Maps, one of the core applications of the first iPhone models, was replaced by Apple Maps in 2012. While serious errors in the first version of Apple Maps attracted great criticism, then Apple CEO Tim Cook had to issue a rare public apology. Despite this, the foundations of the competition between Apple and Google were laid before, with the rise of Android.
A similar break occurred on Adobe’s side. Steve Jobs did not allow Flash support on iPhone and iPad and explained the reasons for this decision in detail in an open letter published in 2010. This choice was one of the most important reasons why Flash remained in the background in the mobile world. Spotify, on the other hand, has argued for years that Apple was using its control over the App Store in favor of its own music service, Apple Music. The European Commission agreed with Spotify on this issue and fined Apple approximately 1.8 billion euros in March 2024.
In addition to all these, there are examples where relations between Apple and large technology companies have not been completely severed. Today, Google is one of Apple’s artificial intelligence infrastructure partners. It is stated that the two companies have made a multi-year agreement to use Gemini models in Apple Intelligence features. In this context, it is stated that Apple pays approximately 1 billion dollars to Google annually.
On the other hand, OpenAI has recently come to the fore with the disputes it has had with its business partners. While the lawsuit filed by Elon Musk is still ongoing, it is claimed that he also experiences tension from time to time with Microsoft, one of the company’s largest investors. OpenAI’s desire to act more independently before its IPO plans may cause the company to reshape its current partnership balances.
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