Apple has apparently been poaching talent from Google as it seeks to establish its own team of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning experts. According to a report from the Financial Times (FT) on April 30, Apple has been hiring “dozens” of these experts from Google over the past year. The report states that Apple has attracted around 36 AI specialists from Google since 2018.
In addition to its efforts to assemble top AI teams, Apple has also acquired two local AI startups in Zurich, Switzerland, leading to the establishment of a “secretive” laboratory in the area called “Vision Lab.” The FT report suggests that Apple’s Zurich employees have been instrumental in the company’s research on advanced AI technologies that power rival services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, locals have described the lab as unassuming, with some unaware of Apple’s presence in the area.
This move by Apple reflects a more aggressive approach to AI development. While Apple has been relatively quiet in this field over the past year, its Big Tech competitors such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and OpenAI have been racing to invest in and develop powerful large language models.
However, on April 24, Apple released its own Open-source Efficient Language Models (OpenELM), consisting of four small language models on the Hugging Face library. These models are designed for text-related tasks like email composition.
Industry insiders suggest that Apple will focus on integrating generative AI into its mobile devices. This would enable AI chatbots and apps to run directly on the iPhone’s built-in hardware, rather than relying on data centers and cloud services.
In February 2024, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that generative AI software features would be introduced to iOS and other Apple platforms later in the year.
On April 27, reports emerged that Apple and OpenAI are engaged in extensive discussions regarding the integration of generative AI technologies on iOS. Similar conversations with Google have also been mentioned.
While nothing has been finalized, these developments indicate Apple’s shift towards AI.