OpenAI executives believe Apple has failed to deliver on promises made during negotiations for integrating ChatGPT into iOS, according to people familiar with the partnership. The frustration centers on Apple's execution of the deal, which launched at WWDC 2024 but fell short of internal expectations at OpenAI.
The integration allows iPhone users to access ChatGPT directly from Siri and writing tools across the OS. OpenAI viewed this as a marquee partnership that would expose ChatGPT to hundreds of millions of Apple device users. Insiders claim Apple underwhelmed in marketing the feature and failed to position it as a marquee capability in iOS 18.
The tension surfaced publicly when a court ordered Apple to turn over internal messages discussing the secretive ChatGPT deal. The ruling came in litigation involving Elon Musk, who has clashed with both companies over AI development and data practices. The court documents may reveal how Apple internally evaluated the partnership and what commitments it made to OpenAI.
OpenAI had reasons to expect stronger Apple backing. The company spent months negotiating integration points and technical details. The partnership represented a rare moment where two major tech platforms aligned on AI distribution. For OpenAI, getting ChatGPT in front of Apple's installed base mattered more than typical licensing deals because it established the AI assistant as a default utility.
Apple's approach differed. The company treated ChatGPT as one of several AI integrations, emphasizing its own on-device models and reserving ChatGPT for moments when cloud processing seemed necessary. Apple positioned the feature as optional and non-intrusive, avoiding the aggressive AI push competitors like Google adopted with Gemini integration in Android.
This mismatch created the "burned" sentiment internally at OpenAI. The company expected Apple to feature ChatGPT prominently in marketing, keyn