Apple and Meta collaborate on AI; powerful model to run on Mac computers

American companies Apple and Meta—which have been at odds for years over issues like user privacy and the future of technology—have found common ground in the field of artificial intelligence. The two companies have collaborated to enable Meta’s powerful "open-weight" AI model to run on Apple’s high-end Mac computers.

According to a report by the American news website Axios, this collaboration signals a shift in the relationship between these two major Silicon Valley rivals. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has prompted tech companies to pursue joint initiatives, despite their past differences.

Speaking to Axios, Alexander Wang, head of Meta’s AI division, welcomed this development, expressing his pleasure that the two companies are once again working together on good terms.

Meta’s AI Model with 816 Billion Parameters

Meta recently introduced "Muse Spark Open," which the company describes as the most powerful "open-weight" AI model developed in the United States.

Through this collaboration with Apple, the model was configured to run locally on Mac Studio computers equipped with M5 Ultra chips. Apple’s MLX framework was utilized for this purpose.

Running an AI model with 816 billion parameters on Mac hardware demonstrates that advanced AI systems can operate on local computers—rather than relying solely on cloud services—provided that the necessary hardware and resources are available. According to Meta, this model will be available for free download, and its license will permit commercial use. Cloud service providers and software developers will also be able to utilize it in their own projects.

A New Development in the Race for Open-Weight AI

Meta has joined the ranks of Western technology companies striving to reduce the costs of artificial intelligence, grant users greater control, and provide alternatives to Chinese-developed systems through the use of "open-weight" AI models.

In this same race, Nvidia has unveiled new versions of its "Nemotron" models, while the American firm Reflection AI and the French company Mistral have also introduced new models.

According to Alexandr Wang, Apple and Meta have been collaborating on this project for several months. Daniel Gross, a former Apple executive now associated with Meta, played a key role in fostering cooperation between the two companies.

A History of Friction Between Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg have been at odds for years over issues concerning user privacy and business practices.

Following the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal involving Facebook, Tim Cook was asked what he would have done had he been in Zuckerberg’s position. Cook replied that he would never have allowed himself to end up in such a situation. Zuckerberg later dismissed this comment as "extremely superficial."

Tensions between the two companies escalated further in 2021, when Apple introduced new restrictions centered on user privacy. These changes impacted Facebook’s advertising business, and the differences between the two companies became apparent.

However, growing competition in the field of artificial intelligence has opened new avenues for collaboration among technology companies. The report cites examples such as an agreement regarding computing resources between SpaceX and Anthropic, as well as an investment in Anthropic by Microsoft.

These developments indicate that, in the race for AI, companies have begun engaging in joint ventures even with their competitors—particularly in instances where combining advanced hardware, computing capacity, and powerful models can yield mutual benefits.