OpenAI launches ChatGPT for iPhone in historic AI integration with Apple

OpenAI demonstrated its new iPhone integration on Wednesday as iOS 18.2 launched to users, bringing ChatGPT directly into Siri, writing tools and camera functions.

Feature update, shown on day five of OpenAI”12 Days of Shipmas“The launch of the product, marks a rare opening of the core functions of Apple’s iPhone to external software. ChatGPT can now process commands through Siri and manage tasks in the operating system.

“When Siri thinks it would be helped by giving a task to ChatGPT, it can just pass it on,” Dave Cummings, director of engineering for ChatGPT at OpenAI, explained during Wednesday’s demonstration. The system works through three main paths: Siri voice commands, Writing tools for text editing and Visual Intelligence through the Camera Control button.

Users can access ChatGPT’s basic features without an account, although premium capabilities require a subscription.

Inside Apple’s AI strategy: Why the iPhone maker chose OpenAI instead of building its own

The partnership addresses critical challenges for both companies. Apple, despite its $3 trillion market cap, has struggled to match competitors in AI development. of Google Gemini and the anthropic Claude they have demonstrated capabilities that surpass anything in Apple’s current AI portfolio.

“We really want to make ChatGPT as frictionless and easy to use everywhere,” Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said during Wednesday’s press conference. “We love Apple devices, and so this integration is one we’re very, very proud of.”

The timing of this release could boost sales of Apple’s high-end devices at a crucial time. While the company did not disclose specific AI revenue, limiting these features to the iPhone 15 Pro models and newer devices creates a compelling reason for consumers to upgrade.

This strategy reflects Apple’s previous pattern of using advanced features – such as ProRAW photography o ProRes video – to drive the adoption of its premium devices, which bring estimated margins in excess of 60%.

The move also positions Apple differently in the AI ​​race. Rather than head-on competition with Google and Microsoft in building foundational AI models, Apple is leveraging partners to bring AI to its ecosystem while maintaining its focus on hardware and user experience.

This approach could be more profitable in the short term, as training AI models remains hugely expensive with uncertain returns.

The $5 billion question: How OpenAI plans to monetize its iPhone base of millions of users

For OpenAI, the collaboration provides immediate access to Apple’s installed base of more than one billion iPhone users. This comes at a crucial time for the AI ​​company, which is under pressure to generate revenue while managing massive computing costs. Recent reports indicate that OpenAI’s computing expenses may reach $5 billion a year from 2025.

The partnership also comes amid OpenAI’s broader monetization push. The company recently announced a partnership with a defense contractor On the sensor and launched a $200 per month ChatGPT Pro third OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar indicated that the company is exploring advertising revenue streams.

Corporate AI spending could change as ChatGPT comes to the enterprise iPhone

For business users, this integration represents more than just a new iPhone feature. Many companies have invested heavily in standalone AI solutions, often paying for multiple services such as Jasper, Claude o corporate ChatGPT licenses.

Native iPhone AI integration could consolidate these tools, potentially reshaping how businesses approach mobile productivity. Companies will be able to shift their enterprise software budgets from specialized AI applications to platforms that seamlessly integrate with Apple’s ecosystem.

Integration could also strengthen the competitive landscape. Google, what it pays Apple billions a year to be the iPhone’s default search engine, it may need to reevaluate its mobile strategy. The search giant has already stepped up its AI efforts, recently launching Gemini into its products.

Apple’s privacy reputation has influenced the design of the integration. The system requires explicit user permission before sharing data with ChatGPT, and anonymous usage options preserve user privacy. All processing takes place on the device for basic functions, with more advanced capabilities requiring cloud computing.

The future of mobile AI: A new platform war begins

The collaboration highlights a broader shift in computing, where AI capabilities are becoming as fundamental as operating systems themselves. We are seeing the emergence of a new platform war, but unlike the mobile OS battles of the 2000s, this one centers on AI integration.

The stakes are much higher: whoever controls the AI ​​interface will likely control the primary way users interact with technology for years to come. Apple’s choice of partners rather than competition suggests they’ve learned from history — sometimes being the platform that hosts the best services is more valuable than trying to build everything in-house.

OpenAI has more announcements planned as part of its “12 Days of Shipmas“campaign. But the Apple collaboration may be the most consequential, reforming how a billion users interact with AI technology every day.

Neither company exchanges cash payments in the initial collaboration, Apple sees the potential for massive distribution of its devices as sufficient compensation for OpenAI. However, future revenue sharing arrangements are being explored, particularly around premium ChatGPT subscriptions.

For OpenAI, the deal offers something potentially invaluable: Seamless access to hundreds of millions of Apple devices. For Apple, it’s a strategic play that keeps the company competitive in AI, while maintaining the flexibility to partner with other providers such as Google and Anthropic – suggesting that in the emerging AI platform wars, Apple is positioning itself as a non-combatant. , but like the battlefield itself. .