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Apple is talking with some big news publishers about licensing their news archives and using that information to help train its generative AI systems, The New York Times reports. The company is apparently discussing “multiyear deals worth at least $50 million,” the NYT says, and has been in touch with publications like Condé Nast, NBC News, and IAC.
The response from the publishers seems mixed. Apparently, the publishers might be “potentially on the hook for any legal liabilities that could stem from Apple’s use of their content,” the NYT says, and Apple has apparently been “vague” about its plans for news and generative AI. However, other news executives were reportedly more positive about the possibility of partnering with Apple.
Apple, Condé Nast, NBC News, and IAC didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment.
Apple’s recent artificial intelligence efforts haven’t been in the spotlight as much as those from rivals like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google, but the company is apparently working hard to catch up, reportedly spending “millions of dollars a day” on AI. It recently released a machine learning framework to build models that run well on Apple Silicon and is working to optimize the ability to run LLMs on phones. And Bloomberg reported that Apple is developing an improved version of Siri and is planning AI-focused features for the next big iOS release.
Apple wouldn’t be the first to partner with news organizations on its AI efforts; OpenAI has signed deals with the Associated Press and Politico parent company Axel Springer to use their stories to help train its AI models. And Google has said it’s working on AI-powered tools to assist journalists.