Apple is in discussions with media outlets to license content for its AI-based voice assistant, Siri AI, in an effort to enhance access to news and information, the Wall Street Journal reported on August 12, citing sources. The company is reportedly considering a budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars and a payment model that compensates media outlets each time their content is used.
According to the report, Apple has been negotiating contracts with media companies over the past few months to secure content for the upcoming Siri AI, which is set to launch this fall. The company is pursuing multi-year agreements to utilize the latest news and information.
This initiative comes as Siri has faced criticism for lagging behind competing AI services in terms of functionality. Apple unveiled Siri AI at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, announcing significant upgrades. The new Siri AI is designed to understand personal context and screen content, retrieving relevant information from personal messages, emails, and photos. It can also search the web for answers on various topics.
If Apple finalizes licensing agreements with media outlets, Siri AI is expected to provide responses based on the latest news and information using their content.
Additionally, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has proposed a variable compensation model based on the frequency of content usage by partner media outlets, discussing a budget in the nine-digit dollar range for these payments.
This approach differs from typical content licensing agreements between AI companies and media outlets, where AI firms usually pay a fixed amount for broad access to content. Apple is considering compensating media outlets based on actual content usage.
IT publication 9to5Mac noted that Apple's move comes amid a rise in legal disputes and licensing agreements between AI companies and media outlets over content usage. For instance, The New York Times is currently suing OpenAI and Microsoft for alleged unauthorized use of its content, while major global media groups like News Corp and Axel Springer have entered into licensing agreements with OpenAI.
Since 2019, Apple has operated a paid news and magazine subscription service, Apple News+, partnering with outlets like the Wall Street Journal. Although some media companies have since withdrawn from the service, these agreements have reportedly generated significant revenue for certain outlets.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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