On March 15th, reports surfaced indicating that Apple Inc. is making strides in the field of AI, having acquired the Canadian startup DarwinAI earlier this year. Dozens of DarwinAI employees have now joined Apple's AI division.
DarwinAI, headquartered in Canada, boasts core technology that involves using AI to comprehend deep neural network algorithms, then generating a series of new, highly optimized neural networks tailored to specific demands and needs.
In essence, developers no longer need to grasp the intricacies of deep neural network models; instead, the platform generates smaller, more concise models based on user-defined requirements within a matter of days.
Industry insiders suggest that this technology could be beneficial for Apple, given its focus on running artificial intelligence on devices rather than solely in the cloud.
Reports also indicate that as part of the acquisition deal, Alexander Wong, co-founder of DarwinAI and a research figure in the field of AI, who is also an associate professor in the Systems Design Engineering department at the University of Waterloo, Canada, has joined Apple as head of the AI team.
In February of this year, Apple decided to scrap its car manufacturing project in favor of investing in generative AI projects. Subsequently, Apple CEO Cook expressed the company's intention to "break new ground" in the AI field.
Analysts suggest that Apple has been lagging behind somewhat due to a lack of certain market-driving factors prevalent today. However, if some of these new products do materialize, they could potentially debut in the latter half of the year.
