Apple brings ChatGPT to iOS, with paid upgrade option in Settings
Apple’s ChatGPT integration in iOS 18.2 boosts AI features, while OpenAI stands to benefit from new subscribers.
Apple is set to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT with Siri and other iOS features, rolling out in December with iOS 18.2. Beta testers of iOS 18.2 have discovered an option in the Settings app allowing users to subscribe directly to ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI’s premium plan, for $20 a month. This move offers Apple users a streamlined way to access ChatGPT‘s advanced features, which include more capable AI models and additional voice and image options.
Free users of ChatGPT will still face some limitations, including restricted access to OpenAI‘s most advanced models and fewer image generations per day. However, OpenAI could see a surge in paid subscriptions from the partnership as Apple’s exposure could drive substantial user interest in ChatGPT Plus.
The specifics of the financial terms between Apple and OpenAI are unclear. Apple isn’t reportedly paying OpenAI directly, relying instead on enhanced exposure, though questions remain about any potential revenue sharing. Apple’s broader AI plans indicate it will also include models from other developers in future updates, possibly incorporating Google’s Gemini.
In the background, OpenAI is working to secure additional funding amidst a period of rapid change, including the departure of key executives and a recent $6.6 billion funding round, which Apple reportedly declined to join following unexpected shifts at OpenAI.
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