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Apple recently paid around $200 million to acquire Lattice Data, a firm that aims to turn unstructured "dark data" such as text and images into structured data that can then be handled with traditional data analysis tools. News of the acquisition comes from TechCrunch, and Apple has essentially confirmed the acquisition by issuing its standard statement on the topic.

lattice_data.jpg

Lattice uses machine learning techniques to take mass amounts of initially unusable data and turn it into properly labeled and categorized data that can be used for AI, medical research, and more.
It's unclear who Lattice has been working with, or how Apple would intend to use the technology. Our guess is that there is an AI play here: Our source said that Lattice had been "talking to other tech companies about enhancing their AI assistants," including Amazon's Alexa and Samsung's Bixby, and had recently spent time in South Korea.
TechCrunch says the deal closed "a couple of weeks ago," with roughly 20 Lattice engineers having joined Apple.

Article Link: Apple Acquires 'Dark Data' Machine Learning Company Lattice Data
 

rp2011

macrumors 68020
Oct 12, 2010
2,337
2,653
Very important work this company is doing.

I've read a few articles in which certain machine learning algorithms that have a great success % at what they do, but are turned away from institutions like medical because the providers of the algorithms have indicated no clue themselves how it works. But that it works! Works great!

Hence, caution, liabilities and legal mumbo jumbo are having big institutions pause and take a wait and see attitude until we know more of what exactly machine learning algorithms are doing without just trusting blindly.
Organization is always a good start in trying to figure **** out.

So it seems like this company is talking a big step towards clearing the shrubs and weeds to gleam better data
 
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SeattleMoose

macrumors 68000
Jul 17, 2009
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1,670
Der Wald
I feel like I just watched an advertisement for "snake oil"....

If the conveyance of something's usefulness cannot be explained in such a way that is easily understood, then 1) it is either BS, or 2) the only people who DO understand it, were not involved in the attempt to explain it.
 
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Goatllama

macrumors 6502a
Jun 24, 2015
627
658
Mountaintop Lair
I feel like I just watched an advertisement for "snake oil"....

If the conveyance of something's usefulness cannot be explained in such a way that is easily understood, then 1) it is either BS, or 2) the only people who DO understand it, were not involved in the attempt to explain it.
or 3) it's hard to understand no matter how you explain it. But yeah, I can see from where you're coming.
 

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,495
11,155
By definition 'dark data' is data collected but not analyzed. With this technology they can now passively analyze all the data about you.
 
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