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

Apple has held meetings with startup PrismML about using its technology to run large AI models on iPhones without server support, according to The Information. PrismML claims to have shrunk Alibaba's 27-billion-parameter Qwen 3.6 model to run on an iPhone 17 Pro, enabling on-device tasks like software development.

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 https://9to5mac.com/2026/01/29/apple-acquires-secretive-q%E2%80%A4ai-startup-for-2-billion/ , a startup that reportedly went for $2 billion. Meanwhile, Apple worked with Google https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/08/craig-federighi-details-apples-collaboration-with-google-for-siri-ai-in-ios-27/ to develop Siri AI https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/06/apple-introduces-siri-ai-a-profoundly-more-capable-and-personal-assistant/ , the modern version of Siri that will debut with iOS 27. You can read the piece in full here https://www.theinformation.com/articles/khosla-backed-startup-claims-breakthrough-largest-ever-ai-model-iphone . You can learn more about PrismML here https://prismml.com . Do more with your Apple products Apple AirTag 2 | Add Find My tracking to keys, bags, bikes, more https://amzn.to/4vjNWN1 AirPods 4 | Apple’s newest wireless headphones https://amzn.to/43ndewV AirPods Pro 3 | Apple’s best wireless headphones https://amzn.to/4ut3FYp Beats USB-A to USB-C Cable | The official CarPlay cable https://amzn.to/4mpKs7K FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. https://9to5mac.com/about/ affiliate our homepage http://9to5mac.com/ for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on exclusive stories https://9to5mac.com/feature/exclusive/ , reviews https://9to5mac.com/guides/review/ , how-tos https://9to5mac.com/guides/how-to/ , and subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/9to5mac