Apple has reportedly acquired a French synthetic intelligence (AI) startup that’s working with on-device pc imaginative and prescient expertise. The Paris-based Datakalab was reportedly acquired by the iPhone maker on the finish of final 12 months. The transfer is alleged to be associated to the tech large’s ambitions of bringing AI options to the iPhone and its different gadgets. Apparently, this isn’t the primary AI agency to be acquired by Apple on this interval. Final month, one other report claimed that the tech large acquired a Canadian AI startup known as DarwinAI as effectively.
The info comes from the French enterprise journal Challenges, which claimed that the deal to buy Datakalab was finalised on December 17, 2023. Whereas the quantity spent by Apple to amass the startup isn’t recognized, based mostly on a notification to the European Fee, the tech large now has a 100 p.c stake within the firm. Notably, the AI agency was based in 2017 by brothers Xavier and Lucas Fischer.
In response to the LinkedIn web page of Datakalab, the corporate describes its work as “a brand new method to compress pc imaginative and prescient neural networks”. In its About part, it additional explains that it really works on “compression and adaptation to deploy embedded pc imaginative and prescient that’s quick, cost-effective and exact”. The AI agency has revealed 9 analysis papers and has three patents pending.
The outline of the startup highlights why Apple might be all for it. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported a number of instances that the tech large needs to construct on-device AI. Datakalab’s work, largely in pc imaginative and prescient, was additionally centered on constructing on-device instruments and techniques. Additional, the pc imaginative and prescient half is necessary because it might give Apple a bonus in comparison with its rivals. OpenAI just lately launched its imaginative and prescient mannequin, and most smartphone-based AI options (besides Google Lens) don’t provide vision-focused options.
Apple additionally reportedly acquired Canadian AI agency DarwinAI earlier this 12 months. This startup additionally labored with on-device AI parts. Based mostly on these reported ventures, it’s clear that the iPhone maker is closely investing to satisfy its rumoured deadline of June 10, when the corporate is predicted to unveil iOS 18, and presumably the brand new AI options it has been engaged on.
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