Apple has entered into a licensing agreement with Shutterstock, acquiring millions of images to advance its AI model training.

                                            

Similar arrangements with Shutterstock have been made by other leading tech firms like Google, Meta, and Amazon, all seeking to bolster their visual AI capabilities. Apple's deal, finalized in late 2022 for a reported $50 million, has now been made public.

This development follows earlier reports of negotiations between Apple and major publishers for training their large language models (LLMs) using news content. Talks allegedly involved media giants such as Conde Nast, IAC, and NBC.

Apple is anticipated to unveil significant advancements in AI integration into its operating systems at the upcoming WWDC event in June. Despite perceptions of lagging behind competitors in AI, Apple has showcased notable innovations in this field.

Users of Apple devices have experienced incremental improvements in machine learning technologies over the past year. Predictive text has become more adept at adapting to individual vocabularies, and Siri has enhanced its translation capabilities.

Rumors suggest that Apple's next-generation processors will feature significantly more robust neural engines.

Greg Joswiak, Apple's Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing, teased on social media that the upcoming WWDC conference will be "Absolutely Incredible," hinting at a strong focus on AI features in iOS 18 and other Apple operating systems.

A key challenge for Apple in AI development is maintaining stringent user privacy standards, a priority not shared by many other tech giants heavily invested in AI. Apple aims to maximize on-device technology usage for its large language models, ensuring user privacy remains paramount.