Apple has brought together a group of Google artificial intelligence (AI) specialists, according to the Financial Times. It is said that the lab, called “Vision Lab,” focuses on developing cutting-edge artificial intelligence models and solutions, with particular attention on text- and visual-based AI systems that are comparable to those powering ChatGPT, the popular chatbot from OpenAI.
As per the publication, Apple has hired 36 professionals from Google since 2018, following the appointment of John Giannandrea, Google’s former head of AI, as Apple’s senior AI executive. The Zurich lab has also attracted famous AI experts, such as former Google employees Bengio and Ruoming Pang, the report adds.
The Zurich laboratory is said to signify Apple’s growing commitment to AI, even though the company’s main AI development centres are in California and Seattle. Reportedly, the company has also acquired AI firms that specialise in image recognition (Fashwall) and virtual reality (FaceShift), which probably piques its curiosity about opening a new lab in Switzerland.
Even though other tech titans such as Google, Microsoft, and Samsung have achieved substantial AI advances, Apple’s foray into the sector has been delayed. According to Ruslan Salakhutdinov of Carnegie Mellon University, who has contacts with Apple through his startup Perpetual Machines, Apple’s delay is due to a conservative approach to AI development. He mentioned that the company is hesitant to release AI systems without complete control over them.
Furthermore, the upcoming iOS 18 update is anticipated to bring generative AI features to several apps, including Messages, Apple Music, Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts, Health, Keynote, Numbers, and Pages. This is a significant step towards Apple’s AI aspirations. In addition, large language models (LLMs) on the smartphone are probably going to power these functions.
Although details of Apple’s Vision Lab in Zurich are yet unknown, the company’s significant push towards cutting-edge AI technology is shown by its recruiting of elite personnel and its acquisitions in the field. New advancements in the upcoming years may be made possible by Apple’s methodical approach to AI development.
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