WSJ: Apple and Meta Have Discussed AI Partnership

FILE PHOTO: Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020.  REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
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WSJ: Apple and Meta Have Discussed AI Partnership

FILE PHOTO: Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020.  REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

Facebook parent Meta Platforms has discussed integrating its generative AI model into Apple's recently announced AI system for iPhones, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

AI startup Anthropic has been in discussions with Apple to bring its generative AI to Apple Intelligence, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Apple, Meta, and Anthropic did not respond immediately to requests for comment outside business hours.
The discussions have not been finalized and could fall through, the Journal reported, adding that deals with Apple would help AI companies to obtain a wider distribution of their products.
The size of potential financial windfall is unclear, but the talks involved AI companies selling premium subscriptions to their services through Apple Intelligence, the report said.
AI search startup Perplexity has also been in discussions with Apple about bringing its generative AI technology to Apple Intelligence, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The iPhone maker announced long-awaited AI strategy this month, saying it would integrate new Apple Intelligence technology across its suite of apps, including Siri, and bring Microsoft-backed OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT to its devices.



Trump Says 'Very Close to a Deal' on TikTok

FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed miniature model of US President-elect Donald Trump and TikTok logo are seen in this illustration taken January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed miniature model of US President-elect Donald Trump and TikTok logo are seen in this illustration taken January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Trump Says 'Very Close to a Deal' on TikTok

FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed miniature model of US President-elect Donald Trump and TikTok logo are seen in this illustration taken January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed miniature model of US President-elect Donald Trump and TikTok logo are seen in this illustration taken January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

President Donald Trump said his administration was "very close" to a deal to find a buyer for TikTok, which faces a US ban if not sold by its Chinese owner by the weekend.

"We're very close to a deal with a very good group of people," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that it involved "multiple" investors but giving no further details.

The hugely popular video-sharing app, which has over 170 million American users, is under threat from a US law that passed overwhelmingly last year and orders TikTok to split from its Chinese owner ByteDance or face a ban in the United States, reported AFP.

Motivated by national security fears and widespread belief in Washington that TikTok is ultimately controlled by the Chinese government, the law took effect on January 19, one day before Trump's inauguration.

But the Republican president quickly announced a delay that has allowed it to continue to operate; that delay is set to expire on April 5.

Trump has downplayed risks that TikTok is in danger of being banned in the United States, saying he remains confident of finding a buyer for the app's US business.

The US president also suggested TikTok could even be part of a broader deal with China to ease the stinging tariffs he imposed on Beijing as part of a worldwide blitz of levies.

Asked Thursday if he was willing to make deals with countries on tariffs, he said: "As long as they are giving us something that is good. For instance with TikTok."

He added: "We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say we'll approve a deal but will you do something on the tariffs. The tariffs give us great power to negotiate."

According to reports, the most likely solution would see existing US investors in ByteDance roll over their stakes into a new independent global TikTok company.

Additional US investors, including Oracle and Blackstone, the private equity firm, would be brought on to reduce the proportion of Chinese investors.

Much of TikTok's US activity is already housed on Oracle servers, and the company's chairman, Larry Ellison, is a longtime Trump ally.

But uncertainty remains, particularly over what would happen to TikTok's valuable algorithm. The New York Times suggested the new company could license it from ByteDance.

Amazon has also reportedly made a last-minute bid to buy TikTok.