Apple considers buying content from publishers for Siri AI

Apple has started negotiations with major publishers to buy content for its improved chatbot Siri AI, aiming to enable the AI system to distribute current news and information, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The talks involve multi-year "content deals" that would allow Siri AI to output relevant information upon request. Apple's idea is a "variable distribution plan" where money flows depending on the number of queries, with the budget for payments "in the nine-figure range." Neither Apple nor the involved publishers have commented publicly. This model would contradict existing deals between big AI firms and news providers, which typically use guaranteed payments, not a "pay-as-you-go" model. However, the main advantage for publishers would be the massive increase in Siri AI usage Apple anticipates, with over three billion iPhones sold by last year. Apple has previously signed deals with publishers for its News+ service, but some companies, including the Wall Street Journal, restricted offerings or left entirely. In contrast, Springer-Verlag ("Welt", "Bild") signed a deal with OpenAI in 2023. It is still unclear how Siri AI will present information from publishers, though Apple has its own search robots for web content. The new Siri is set to launch in September with iOS 27 and macOS 27, initially only in English, and European users may be excluded due to regulatory reasons. The Wall Street Journal did not specify which publishers Apple is negotiating with or the progress of talks.