Apple will receive an observer seat on OpenAI’s board of directors without voting rights and director capabilities like their rival Microsoft. This development followed Apple’s announcement at WWDC about the integration of ChatGPT, according to Bloomberg.
Phil Schiller, head of the App Store, was elected to the position of observer. So far, he hasn’t attended any of the meetings, but that could change. In general, the presence of observers from competitors Microsoft and Apple at meetings creates an interesting situation. Although they do not have the right to vote, they can get an idea of how decisions are made in the company.
Potential Impact on AI Initiatives
Future AI initiatives between OpenAI and Microsoft are likely to be discussed at some of the board meetings. Perhaps Microsoft will not want to involve Schiller in these discussions. On the other hand, observers are often required to leave the meeting during discussions that are considered sensitive.
On June 10, Apple held its annual large-scale developer conference, WWDC 2024. The main topic this year was artificial intelligence, an area in which the company has previously lagged. Among other announcements, Apple introduced Apple Intelligence and integration with ChatGPT. We’ll keep you updated on further developments.
Partnership Details
Apple’s partnership with OpenAI isn’t a financial deal, at least not yet, notes NIX Solutions. Instead of money changing hands, OpenAI gets access to hundreds of millions of potential users. For its part, Apple is getting the chatbot feature that many consumers have been waiting for. Users will also be able to access a paid version of ChatGPT on Apple devices, which could earn the iPhone maker a fee in the App Store.
In summary, Apple’s new observer role at OpenAI represents a strategic move to stay competitive in the AI field. We’ll keep you updated on any further developments in this partnership.