Apple in talks with PrismML to run massive AI models directly on iPhone without cloud servers

Report: Apple interested in startup that runs giant AI models on iPhone without servers

The Information reports that Apple may be interested in PrismML's technology. The firm is focused on shrinking AI models that generally require servers to function, offering on-device functionality with comparable intelligence. PrismML may be key to unlocking more powerful models on-device "The startup, PrismML, said it has shrunk down Qwen 3.6, an open-source large language model developed by Chinese internet giant Alibaba, to run on an iPhone 17 Pro," per The Information. "The model has 27 billion parameters, which are roughly similar to the synapses in a brain and can help determine the complexity of the data a model can process. In contrast, most models that run on mobile phones have only a few billion parameters active at a time." The report goes on to say that PrismML plans to release its open-source model on Tuesday, July 14, and that it's capable of tasks like software development. Later in the piece, The Information reports that Apple has already held meetings with PrismML about "ways it could use its technology," citing people familiar with the talks. In terms of acquisitions, Apple's biggest secretive AI play has been acquiring Q.ai, a startup that reportedly went for $2 billion. Meanwhile, Apple worked with Google to develop Siri AI, the modern version of Siri that will debut with iOS 27. You can read the piece in full here. You can learn more about PrismML here.

Apple Exploring Ways to Run Much Larger AI Models Directly on iPhones

Apple has held meetings with PrismML about ways it could use the startup's technology to run much larger AI models directly on iPhones, according to The Information. The report said PrismML has managed to shrink down Alibaba's open-source large language model Qwen 3.6 to run entirely on an iPhone 17 Pro. The model has 27 billion parameters, which is larger than Apple's on-device AFM 3 Core Advanced model with 20 billion parameters. Apple's model powers iOS 27 enhancements such as Siri AI's more expressive voices and improved systemwide dictation on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models. Unlike with AFM 3 Core Advanced, all of Qwen 3.6's parameters can be active at the same time. "One new on-device Apple model has 20 billion parameters but uses a so-called sparse architecture, in which only 1 billion to 4 billion parameters are active at a time," the report said, in reference to AFM 3 Core Advanced. "In the case of PrismML's on-device model, all 27 billion parameters are active at the same time." Larger models running directly on iPhones would allow for more Apple Intelligence features to run on device instead of on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, which could reduce Apple's costs and further enhance user privacy.

AppleInsider.com

PrismML, a startup that uses mathematical wizardry to shrink the size of large language models, could be used to bring more advanced AI capabilities to iPhones in the future. The company has already been able to compress the 54GB Qwen 3.6 model to just 4GB. And, importantly, the technology that it uses doesn't impact the model's performance. Apple is already keen to find ways to shrink LLMs that would normally run on servers. The company prefers such models to run on-device, but has so far been limited by the huge amount of data that more advanced models require. Now, according to a report by The Information, Apple has identified PrismML as a potential partner in its AI-shrinking efforts. Billions of parameters The Qwen 3.6 model is so large because of its 27 billion parameters, a figure that allows it to perform more advanced tasks than smaller models. The models that run on phones normally have just a few billion parameters, limiting their capabilities. It's reported that the Qwen 3.6 model that PrismML has already made to work on an iPhone is capable of complex chat and reasoning. It can also power fully autonomous agents. While Apple is already working to shrink models for iPhone use, performance has been an issue. But PrismML's technology has no such issue, making it particularly appealing. With that in mind, it's no surprise that Apple would take notice. The report claims the company has already held meetings with PrismML to discuss the ways its technology could be used to bring more advanced AI technologies to the iPhone. Ultimately, there's no guarantee the two companies will work together. And even if they do, it's unknown when iPhone and Siri AI owners could expect to benefit from the partnership.

Apple eyeing startup PrismML to bring massive AI models direct to iPhone By Investing.com

Apple is in talks with PrismML, a stealthy California Institute of Technology (Caltech) spinout, as it looks to drastically reduce its reliance on the cloud and run heavyweight AI entirely on-device. The discussions, first reported by The Information, come on the heels of a massive technical breakthrough from the startup: PrismML successfully compressed Alibaba's 27-billion-parameter open-source Qwen 3.6 model to run locally on an iPhone 17 Pro. Typically, cramming a model of that caliber onto a smartphone requires a "sparse architecture" -- meaning the phone only wakes up a fraction of the AI's brain at any given moment to keep the device from melting. PrismML completely flips the script. * The Shrink: Squeezed the model from a massive 54 GB down to less than 4 GB. * The Brainpower: Keeps all 27 billion parameters active simultaneously without sacrificing benchmark performance. * The Core Tech: Built on ultra-dense 1-bit and ternary weight architectures (reducing memory footprint up to 14x while running up to 8x faster). Why this matters for Apple: Local AI means total user privacy, lightning-fast response times, and zero reliance on a cellular connection. It also saves Apple from paying astronomical cloud server bills. At WWDC, Apple made waves by introducing a revamped Siri architecture. However, many of those advanced features still rely on sending data off-device to Google's Gemini models in the cloud. By actively hunting for acquisition targets like PrismML, Apple is aiming to shift those heavy AI workloads back into your pocket. While rivals like Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon are committing hundreds of billions to build out massive AI data centers, Apple's ultimate power move might just be making the data center obsolete for the everyday user.