Apple Buys Another AI Startup as It Gears up for Generative AI Features

Generative AIhas been one of the most popular and hottest topics for almost a year now. The race for on-device AI supremely is at its highest speed, with Apple following Google’s recent announcement about the Gemini Nano model. Apple quietly went on an AI startup shopping spree to outpace its competitors.According to Bloomberg, the Cupertino tech giant acquired a Canadian AI startup DarwinAI earlier this year to build its AI team.

DarwinAI specializes in making smaller, faster, and more efficient AI systems. Also, it created an AI technology to inspect components during the manufacturing process.Image Courtesy: Mohit Singh/Beebom

Following the acquisition, DarwinAI’s website and social media accounts have been taken offline. It’s also reported that dozens of former DarwinAI employees, including AI researcher Alexander Wong, have joined Apple’s Artificial Intelligence team. Wong helped build DarwinAI, and now he’s a director in Apple’s AI team.

Apple never reveals its acquisitions and future plans. It simply states, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time”. Of course, this doesn’t reveal the purpose or upcoming plans. However, we might assume it is a big move by Apple to integrate on-device AI features into its upcoming software versions and product lineup.

We all know that Google, Microsoft, and other players have already taken a lead in the AI space. Now, Apple is working hard to catch up. Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook already confirmed that Apple’s Generative AI features are coming later this year. So, it’s evident that Apple is working day & night to build AI features for itsnext-generation iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 operating systems.

If Apple has plans to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing, and other top generative AI offerings, it needs to integrate generative AI into its product lineup. Apple is reportedly testing large language models, and its AI features are expected to reflect across Siri, Apple Music, Shortcuts app, Messages, and more. We’re likely to see a smarter voice assistant,“Siri 2.0”that’s largely inspired by AI capabilities.

For privacy reasons, Apple is planning to have AI features run on-device, and DarwinAI’s specialization in making smaller AI systems might be of great use. Since WWDC 2024 isn’t too far, we don’t have to hold our excitement too long to witness how Apple plans to leverage its AI advancements in upcoming software updates and product lineups.

Kanika Gogia

Kanika has been a loyal iPhone user since 2014 and loves everything Apple. With a Master’s in Computer Applications, passion for technology, and over five years of experience in writing, she landed at Beebom as an Apple Ecosystem Writer. She specializes in writing How To’s, troubleshooting guides, App features, and roundups for Apple users to help them make the best use of their gadgets. When not writing, she loves to try out new recipes and enjoy some family time.

Add new comment

Name

Email ID

Δ

01

02

03

04

05