Apple is reportedly investing in OpenAI — Microsoft’s rival wants in on the ChatGPT maker, too

Apple is reportedly in talks with OpenAI for investing in its latest fundraising round.

According a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple is expected to invest in the ChatGPT maker. Venture capital firm Thrive Capital is leading the investment round, which would make OpenAI’s valuation above $100 billion. Apple analyst Mark Gurman also reported the rumored investment and added that Nvidia and Microsoft would also be participating.

So yes, the three most valuable tech companies in the world want to get in on what OpenAI is offering.

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Inside Apple’s AI plans

Microsoft has been a major investor in OpenAI since 2019, pouring $13 billion into the AI company. The deal gave Microsoft exclusive access to OpenAI’s LLMs, which has enabled Microsoft to boost up its own AI productivity tools and features. But Microsoft and OpenAI are no longer exclusive.

At Apple’s WWDC event in June, the tech giant announced a partnership with OpenAI, which will integrate ChatGPT features on the iOS 18 update. Apple Intelligence features are currently available in beta, but ChatGPT-related features have not yet been released.

Apple has been cagey about its AI plans, and has mostly sat on the sidelines as other Big Tech companies duked it out for AI dominance. But Apple’s partnership in June with OpenAI was its first major play in the AI arena.

Apple is reportedly exploring partnerships with Google, Meta, and Anthropic to provide users with their AI model of choice on its devices. But now, Apple’s reported investment in OpenAI is a major move in strengthening their ties — especially since Apple rarely invests in startups.

The Apple event in September typically focuses on hardware. We can anticipate new releases including the next-generation iPhone, updated Apple Watch models, new Apple AirPods, and more.

But there’s also a chance that Apple will make some announcements about Apple Intelligence and other AI features. The event is on September 9, so we won’t have to wait long.