Apple in Talks with Baidu to Bring AI Tool Ernie to Chinese iPhones, Report Says

Apple is reportedly in discussions with Chinese tech company Baidu to incorporate its AI tool Ernie into Chinese iPhones. This news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The stringent Chinese AI regulations are said to have prompted Apple to engage in these discussions.

Sources cited by The New York Times also confirm the talks, though it remains unclear whether Apple is looking to integrate all of Ernie's features or if they plan to develop some AI functions in-house. Ernie, an AI bot developed by Baidu, is set to be launched in 2023. The bot is capable of assisting with text generation, solving mathematical puzzles, and even creating images.

According to The Register, Apple may need to collaborate with a local partner in China due to the country's tightened AI regulations implemented last year. Chinese AI tools, like Ernie, must adhere to specific standards and must not challenge the state's authority. In another development, Apple has also been rumored to be in talks with Google regarding the integration of Gemini AI into iOS 18. Bloomberg reported that Apple aims to utilize Gemini for tasks such as image and text generation using text prompts.