Apple is reportedly in talks with OpenAI to incorporate the latter’s AI features in the upcoming iOS 18 release.

Apple is investing heavily in catching up with rivals in the AI space. The company has bought at least two AI startups with a goal to incorporate on-device AI features. On-device AI if very much in-line with Apple’s emphasis on protecting user privacy.

Despite Apple focusing its efforts on on-device AI, the company appears to be hedging its bets. According to Bloomberg, Apple is in talks with OpenAI to include some of its features in iOS 18. This evidently marks a reopening of negotiations, as the two companies had previously discussed a deal without reaching one.

Bloomberg reports that Apple is also in talks with Google to include its Gemini chatbot in iOS as well, which would seem to indicate that Apple is leaving all options on the table in its efforts to incorporate AI in iOS 18.

A deal with Google, in particular, would likely pose some challenges for Apple. Apple and Google’s search deal has already been a major point of discussion in the DOJ’s antitrust suit against Google. It’s hard to imagine that an AI deal that could see Google as the exclusive provider on Apple’s devices wouldn’t bring increased scrutiny.

A deal with Google could also be a hard sell for Apple’s users since many of them use Apple devices specifically for the promise of privacy, something Google is not well-known for.