Apple is stepping up its efforts in AI! It is reported that they are acquiring the Canadian startup DarwinAI, possibly bringing neural network talent under its wing.

On March 14th, Thursday, Eastern Time, Apple made a new move in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

According to sources cited by the media, earlier this year, Apple acquired the Canadian startup DarwinAI. Dozens of the company's employees have joined Apple's AI department. As part of the acquisition deal, Alexander Wong, co-founder of DarwinAI and a professor in the Systems Design Engineering Department at the University of Waterloo in Canada, a prominent figure in the AI research field, has also joined Apple as the head of the AI team.

DarwinAI, a Canadian startup, received funding of $60 million in December 2020, bringing the total funding received in its five years of existence to $15.5 million. The company has collaborations with Lockheed Martin and Intel.

After news of the acquisition surfaced, Apple stated that it frequently acquires small tech companies and did not comment on any specific plans related to DarwinAI. It has been pointed out by some media that the AI system developed by DarwinAI allows manufacturing companies to visually inspect components, and one of the core technologies of the company is to make neural network models smaller and faster.

If the news is true, the specialized AI neural network researchers from DarwinAI will be brought under Apple's wing. This type of neural network work may be beneficial to Apple, as the company focuses on running edge AI on devices rather than entirely in the cloud.

The acquisition of DarwinAI is the latest sign of Apple's increased investment in AI this year. Wall Street News previously reported that in February, Apple decided to abandon its nearly decade-long struggle in the car-making project. Many of the nearly 2,000 employees in its electric car project will be transferred to the AI department, focusing on generative AI projects.

Analysts have commented that shifting resources to generative AI is the right choice. Whether it's car-making or AI, both test Apple's financial strength, but undoubtedly, the return cycle of AI is shorter than that of cars. AI can be more easily integrated with phones, allowing Apple's AI technology to be implemented. Some analysts believe that even without making cars, Apple's accumulation in Carplay can still be combined with existing car brands and products. Apple's current focus is on how to quickly integrate past AI research achievements in the field of autonomous driving in cars, find better directions for AI implementation, including deploying AI on Apple phones or the rumored AI headphones, and other next-generation wearable devices.At the annual shareholders' meeting at the end of February, shortly after announcing the decision to abandon car manufacturing, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the company is investing heavily in the field of AI. This is seen as the strongest signal yet of Apple embracing the trend of generative AI.

Cook expressed his excitement about the tremendous breakthrough potential of generative AI, stating, "This is why we are investing heavily in this area. We believe it will bring revolutionary opportunities for users in productivity, problem-solving, and more."

While Apple has not yet released products competing with models like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, Cook hinted at significant announcements to come this year. He mentioned, "Later this year, I look forward to sharing with you how we will pioneer new frontiers in generative AI. We believe this technology has the power to redefine the future."