Apple acquires DarwinAI startup amid generative AI scramble

Apple, scrambling to catch up in generative AI in 2024, has acquired Canadian artificial intelligence startup DarwinAI.

Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
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The iPhone maker purchased the business earlier this year, and dozens of DarwinAI’s employees have joined Apple’s artificial intelligence division, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the deal hasn’t been announced.

DarwinAI has developed AI technology for visually inspecting components during the manufacturing process and serves customers in a range of industries. But one of its core technologies is making artificial intelligence systems smaller and faster. That work that could be helpful to Apple, which is focused on running AI on devices rather than entirely in the cloud.

The under-the-radar acquisition comes ahead of a big AI push for Apple this year. The company is adding features to its iOS 18 software that rely on generative AI, the technology behind ChatGPT and other groundbreaking tools… Apple has fallen behind in the generative AI market. It was caught flat-footed by the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, and tech peers like Google and Microsoft Corp. have stolen the spotlight with new features.

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MacDailyNews Take: On-device AI is likely to be a distinguishing feature for Apple, but the company will have to effectively promote the advantage to consumers in order to boost device sales.
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