Apple’s Generative AI Plans: Negotiations with Publishers and News Organizations

Apple, a tech giant that has been notably absent from the list of companies with their own generative AI products, is reportedly making strides to change this. According to The New York Times, Apple has recently begun negotiating with major publishers and news organizations to obtain permission to use their content for training its generative AI system.

The company is aware that it cannot expect to gain access to the content for free and has offered multi-year deals worth at least $50 million to these publishers for access to their news archives. While some publishers have expressed concerns about the potential legal issues and competition that may arise from allowing Apple to use their news articles, others have been impressed by Apple’s willingness to ask for permission and pay for the content.

Apple’s commitment to privacy has been a driving force behind its hesitation to use information collected from the internet for generative AI development. However, the company has been exploring various options for obtaining data for this purpose.

In contrast, other companies that have already developed generative AIs have faced accusations of stealing content and using it without the express consent of creators and rights holders. OpenAI, for example, is currently dealing with several lawsuits that allege the company has used intellectual property belonging to others without permission. These lawsuits have been filed by notable authors such as George R.R. Martin and John Grisham, as well as nonfiction writers who claim that OpenAI and Microsoft have built a business valued in the tens of billions of dollars by using the works of others without obtaining proper permission.

As Apple moves forward with its plans for a generative AI system, it will be interesting to see how the company addresses the concerns of publishers and navigates the complex landscape of intellectual property rights.

Image: SKIP