Apple in Talks to Invest in OpenAI [Report]

Apple is in talks to invest in OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot and virtual assistant, according to a new report from the WSJ. Apple has already partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT-powered features to its upcoming iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 operating systems.

The investment would be part of a new OpenAI fundraising round that would value the ChatGPT maker above $100 billion, people familiar with the situation said. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that venture-capital firm Thrive Capital is leading the round, which will total several billion dollars, and Apple rival Microsoft is also expected to participate.

The WSJ wasn't able to ascertain how much Apple or Microsoft are planning to invest into OpenAI; however, Microsoft already owns a 49% share of the company's profits, following an investment of $13 billion since 2019.


According to reports from earlier this year, Apple held partnership discussions with Google and Meta, as well as smaller rivals like Anthropic and Perplexity. Ultimately, it decided to launch Apple Intelligence with OpenAI as a partner; however, rumors suggest that Apple could potentially add support for additional AI engines in the future. Investing in OpenAI could complicate these efforts.

Notably, there were reports that Apple would gain an observer role on OpenAI's board as part of its partnership agreement; however, it purportedly gave up that seat amid increased regulatory scrutiny.

You can learn more about the OpenAI and Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 18 here:
● Apple Debuts 'Apple Intelligence' AI Features for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

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