Apple Seeking Deal to License Billions of Images to Train AI Models

Apple is believed to be among the companies seeking an agreement with Photobucket to train its artificial intelligence models, Reuters reports.

hey siri banner apple
Photobucket's vast image library of over 13 billion photos and videos has attracted renewed interest as tech companies, including Apple, seek to license content for AI training purposes. The rise of generative AI has spurred demand for diverse datasets, and companies like Photobucket are able provide a vast amount of of visual data that could train AI to produce content in response to text prompts.

Apple already reached an agreement with Shutterstock to license millions of images shortly after the debut of ChatGPT in late 2022, in a deal believed to be worth $25 million to $50 million. The pursuit of "ethically sourced" and legally clear data marks a departure from the earlier practice of freely scraping web data. Apple is reportedly preparing to showcase a series of AI features with iOS 18 and its other major software updates at WWDC in June.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Foldable Thumb

First Foldable iPhone Design Details Revealed

Monday February 2, 2026 7:19 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature relocated volume buttons, an all-black camera plateau, a smaller Dynamic Island, and more, according to design leaks from a known Weibo leaker. The user known as "Instant Digital" today claimed to share several key details about the design of the foldable iPhone: The volume buttons will be located on the top edge of the device, aligned to the...

Top Rated Comments

icanhazmac Avatar
24 months ago
Ug, so what I get from this is everyone using Photobucket "agreed" to have their pictures monetized? Gross.



Attachment Image
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erikkfi Avatar
24 months ago
And how much does each Photobucket uploader get per image under this "ethical deal"?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hooptyuber Avatar
24 months ago
Photobucket is one of the sleaziest, worst companies to ever exist. They locked everyone's accounts and held them hostage for astronomical fees after letting everyone load up their accounts with images for free for a couple of years. They are total dirtbags.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
truthsteve Avatar
24 months ago
every single image apple generates will have a shutter stock watermark /s
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mousse Avatar
24 months ago
I hope they at least eliminate the obviously stupid stock photos, especially the scientific and tech photos. Chemistry isn't about color water in erlenmeyer flasks.:rolleyes: Any tech who holds a soldering iron like this...?

AI is already stupid enough, but if we feed it the worst of human stupidity.

Feed the AI a lot of Hide the Pain Harold ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hide_the_Pain_Harold') images. I can't get enough of Harold.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hooptyuber Avatar
24 months ago

There’s no such thing as “free” when it comes to hosting your content.
Yeah, we all know that. What Photobucket did was akin to extortion. Going from “free” to a $400 or a thousand dollars per year fee to access your photos is not ethical. They were even given an F rating by the Denver Better Business Bureau.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)