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Apple is looking to improve its generative AI systems by using news archives from some of the biggest news publishers in the world, The New York Times reports.
The tech giant is reportedly negotiating “multiyear deals worth at least $50 million” with publications such as Condé Nast, NBC News, and IAC.
Why the tech giant wants news archives
Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that can create new content, such as text, images, audio, or video, based on existing data. The tech giant is interested in developing generative AI systems that can produce high-quality and diverse content for its products and services, such as Siri, News, and Apple TV+.
To train its generative AI systems, The company needs a large and varied amount of data that can provide examples of different styles, topics, and formats of content. News archives are a valuable source of such data, as they contain millions of articles covering a wide range of subjects, from politics and business to sports and entertainment.
By licensing news archives from reputable news publishers, The company can access a rich and reliable dataset that can help its generative AI systems learn how to generate realistic and relevant content. Apple can also benefit from the expertise and reputation of the news publishers, who can provide feedback and guidance on the quality and accuracy of the generated content.
How news publishers are reacting to Apple’s offer
The news publishers that The tech giant is in talks with have different views on the potential partnership, according to The New York Times. Some publishers are concerned about the legal and ethical implications of allowing Apple to use their content for its generative AI systems. They fear that they might be held responsible for any problems or damages that could arise from Apple’s use of their content, such as plagiarism, defamation, or misinformation.
The company has not been very clear about its plans and goals for its generative AI systems, which adds to the uncertainty and hesitation of some publishers. The tech giant has not disclosed how it will use the generated content, whether it will share it with other parties, or how it will ensure the quality and credibility of the content.
However, some news executives are more optimistic about the opportunity to collaborate with Apple on its generative AI projects. They see it as a way to generate new revenue streams, expand their audience reach, and enhance their brand recognition. They also hope that the company will share some of the insights and innovations that it will gain from its generative AI systems, which could help them improve their own content production and distribution.
How it advancing its artificial intelligence efforts
The company has been investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, as it faces increasing competition from rivals like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google, who have been making significant strides in the field. It is reportedly spending “millions of dollars a day” on AI research and development, hiring top AI talent, and acquiring AI startups.
The company has also been releasing new tools and frameworks to support its AI initiatives, such as Core ML, which allows developers to build machine learning models that run efficiently on Apple devices, and Swift for TensorFlow, which enables developers to write AI code in Apple’s Swift programming language. The company is also working on optimizing its AI systems to run on its own chips, such as Apple Silicon, which powers its latest Macs and iPhones.
One of Apple’s main AI goals is to improve Siri, its voice assistant, which has been lagging behind its competitors, such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, in terms of functionality and performance. The tech giant is reportedly developing a new version of Siri that will be more conversational, contextual, and personalized, and will offer more features and integrations with other apps and services.
The company is also planning to introduce new AI-focused features in its next major iOS update, according to Bloomberg. These features include a new menu that will allow users to manage their privacy settings for each app, a new feature that will let users unlock their iPhones with Face ID while wearing masks, and a new feature that will let users control their devices with gestures.
How it is following the footsteps of other AI players
The tech giant is not the only tech company that is partnering with news organizations to leverage their content for its AI systems. OpenAI, a research organization that aims to create artificial general intelligence, has signed deals with the Associated Press and Axel Springer, the parent company of Politico, to use their stories to train its AI models, such as GPT-3, which can generate natural language texts.
Google, another AI leader, has also been working on AI-powered tools to assist journalists and news publishers. For example, Google has launched Journalist Studio, a suite of tools that can help journalists find, analyze, and visualize data, such as Pinpoint, which can help journalists sift through large collections of documents, and Data Commons, which can help journalists access and explore public datasets.
The company, OpenAI, and Google are among the many tech companies that are exploring the potential of generative AI to create new and engaging content for their users and customers. However, they also face the challenges and risks of ensuring the quality, accuracy, and ethics of the generated content, as well as the rights and responsibilities of the original content creators and owners.
