Apple iPhones may soon get system-wide ChatGPT integration; what it means for you

It’s no longer news that Apple has had big AI plans for the coming year. Not only has the company made clear that AI will be a big part of iOS 18, the next major iPhone update, but Apple has also reportedly been with existing AI players for licensing.

Until recently, these names included Google, for the Gemini AI chatbot (previously called Bard). Despite being a direct rival to Apple in smartphone markets like the US, a report from earlier this year suggested Apple was in talks with Google to integrate Gemini into its iPhones, and power new AI features.

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Now, a newer report suggests that Apple is also in talks with OpenAI for apparently the same reasons. As per the report, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the world’s most popular AI chatbot, may soon power the new AI features on iPhones.

How this would be different from using the ChatGPT app

All iPhone users can already use ChatGPT, either from the ChatGPT website, or using the official ChatGPT app, which has been available on the App Store for a while. However, this implementation limits users to the very app.

A deeper integration between Apple and OpenAI would allow ChatGPT to power more tasks system-wide. This could be similar to how Copilot works on Windows 11, giving users all the generative AI features they want, but also letting them use the system-wide integration to do things like change Windows settings right from within Copilot.

This could mean anything from AI-powered suggestions right while you type in the Messages app, or AI-powered image editing right within the Photos app. The possibilities are endless, something we’ve already had a taste of with Galaxy AI on Samsung’s flagship smartphones earlier this year.

How this plays in with Apple’s possible partnership with Google (and whether that is still on the cards) remains to be seen. Note that neither deal with either Google or OpenAI has been confirmed to go through yet, so any concrete information on the matter remains unavailable.

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Thankfully, we don’t have to wait a lot to know for sure. Apple’s much awaited Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC 24) is merely a month away, and one of the key announcements expected at the event is iOS 18 and all the big features Apple plans to rollout with it. We should hear all about Apple’s AI integrations at the event. Meanwhile, stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma for all the new updates in the AI space.