Worried about privacy with iOS 18’s AI features? Apple gets it and has a plan – 9to5Mac

AI features coming to iOS 18 and Apple’s other platforms may be exciting for lots of users, but for some, there exist legitimate concerns around privacy.

Apple gets it, and per a new report, the company plans to make certain iOS 18 AI features not only privacy-conscious, but also opt-in only.

AI chatbot in iOS 18 will be opt-in only

Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg:

Depending on how deeply Apple plans to integrate the chatbot with its software, it also could mean that OpenAI has access to personal information, which could unnerve some users.

But Apple is expected to offer its new AI features as an opt-in service, according to the people familiar with the matter. So wary customers could easily steer clear of them if they’d prefer.

It is unclear whether the OpenAI chatbot is the only feature Gurman refers to, but it seems to be his focus here.

As a result, those concerned about Apple’s new partnership with OpenAI, and the expected ChatGPT integration with iOS 18, can rest assured that Apple won’t push the feature on anyone. It will be off by default, and users will have to explicitly opt-in.

Apple’s AI features vs. outsourced options

This move makes a lot of sense considering Apple won’t have as much control of how iOS 18’s chatbot works. Since it’s planning to outsource the chatbot function of iOS 18 to companies like OpenAI, and possibly Google, there will be fewer privacy safeguards Apple can build in than what could be provided if they created their own chatbot.

Other AI features of iOS 18, however, will be built entirely by Apple and thus users can take more comfort in whatever privacy narrative the company tells.

Do you plan to activate a third-party chatbot in iOS 18? Any concerns about privacy? Let us know in the comments.