Date:
March 15, 2024
Apple, the tech giant, has taken a big leap toward building AI competency with Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI after acquiring Darwin AI
Apple has been evidently silent about its AI developments in the last two years. But, its actions related to building the AI capabilities have always found a way into the limelight. In recent times, Apple bought an AI startup that was leading the space of making AI tools smaller and more compact. After its acquisition of Darwin AI, Apple took major steps to integrate AI features across its offerings, but without much voice.
Darwin AI was built by a Canadian startup that was completely bought over by Apple last year. The company had mastered the art of making AI systems smaller and faster, which is one of the most attractive features for Apple’s goal of catching up with the AI leadership winds of top AI development companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Apple can easily integrate AI features in its new iOS version updates, which can enhance the user experience manifold.
Why The Silence?
The boom of generative AI gave birth to many startups like OpenAI, and changed the business outlook of top tech giants like Google and Microsoft. While all these brands were swift in their AI capability development, Apple somehow lagged behind. The main reason behind this is that the AI features that Apple could talk about were already present in most of its iOS and other devices. Ranging from personalization in the Camera functions to human-like interactions with Siri, Apple had already deployed major capabilities in its portfolio.
To cope up with the rapid AI growth and slipping leadership opportunity, the company began buying micro and small AI companies that brought relevant innovation. Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has been silent about the AI developments within the company. But, he revealed that Apple will be coming up with some exciting new technologies in the iOS 18 version and iPhone 16 series.
Meanwhile, the company is quietly integrating new AI features in its existing iOS 17 version to keep the existing user base on top of the AI trend. Some of them include text copying from images, single-click cutouts of people from photos, digital voice cloning, improved autocorrect, and AI smarts feature in camera.
Darwin AI has shut down its entire digital existence from social media to website. The main goal as teased by internal team members suggests that Apple is focusing on on-device AI features. It is currently investing heavily in the R&D of generative AI. For now, the company’s publicly visible use of AI is limited to Apple Vision Pro, which is a revolutionary introduction in the tech market. Regarding Darwin AI’s usage, the company might use it to create small-sized AI features and optimize the predictive analysis of its device manufacturing units.
