Apple Made Once-Unlikely Deal With Sam Altman to Catch Up in AI
An OpenAI agreement is due to be announced at the Apple’s developer conference next week.
Apple’s bid to catch up in generative artificial intelligence has led to a once-unlikely partnership with OpenAI.
Illustration by Michelle Rohn
When a 23-year-old Sam Altman took the stage at Apple Inc.’s annual developer conference in 2008, he gushed about being able to use the company’s new App Store to promote his software, a friend-locating service called Loopt. “We think this is a new era of mobile, and we’re thrilled to be part of it,” Altman said.
Now, 16 years later, Apple is calling upon the entrepreneur again — but with a twist. This time, the company needs his help as much as he needs Apple.