And there were some notable stories while the show was on vacation. Let’s pick up those threads.
Apple quietly released an open-source multimodal LLM called Ferret in October 2023, and it was only noted to close out the year. The release received little attention initially, but with recent headlines about open-source models from Mistral and Google’s Gemini, there is increased interest in local LLMs powering small devices. Apple’s breakthrough in deploying LLMs on iPhones and the potential for immersive visual experiences have further sparked discussion. The AI community has celebrated Apple’s unexpected entry into the open source LLM landscape, considering Apple’s reputation as a “walled garden” company.
The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing them of using its copyrighted articles to train their AI technology without permission or payment. The Times alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft used “millions” of its articles to develop their tech, which now directly competes with the Times’s own services. The tech companies have claimed fair use, but the lawsuit includes examples of OpenAI’s AI model outputting Times articles verbatim. This lawsuit adds to a growing trend of artists and creative professionals seeking credit and compensation from tech companies for using their work.
Microsoft has launched CoPilot of iOS and iPadOS, following its recent launch on Android. The app provides access to Microsoft Copilot, allowing users to ask questions, draft emails, summarize text, and create images through integration with the text-to-image generator DALL-E3. Unlike the free version of ChatGPT, Copilot grants access to GPT-4, the latest large language model from OpenAI, without a subscription. This move reflects Microsoft’s rebranding of Bing Chat to Copilot and its aim to offer a standalone experience similar to ChatGPT.
These are the product battles to note as we enter the new year. I had three insights here.
First, don’t count Apple out. They may not have the buzz, but that’s their mode of operation. Quiet until announcement.
Second, content may be increasing in value, and unlike the social media age, companies recognize that. Licensing deals may be part of the solution, and who owns what will be notable.
And finally, don’t forget how much of this will be on mobile devices too, particularly as Apple enters the fray. They sell hardware – of course they want this to be a device solution.