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Buying a ton of AI companies really makes it feel like they were caught with their pants down last year. I don't think they thought AI would move this fast and felt they had more time. But you don't buy every company under the sun when you are playing from the front. It's a catch up move from a big company normally.
That is just an assumption look at what DarwinAI was telling the press against AI-powered Visual Quality Inspection.
 
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Apple has bought over 30 AI companies in the last two years more than Microsoft and Google. Apple is not only the dark horse in the AI race, but it has all the ingredients to win in it.
There is a huge difference between:
- Apple buying a company,
- Apple incorporating their technology effectively,
and most importantly,
- having that group have the same drive and purpose and urgency once IN Apple that they had as a startup.
 
AI is evident throughout Apple’s offerings, particularly ML. The catching up description is opinion because they have not talked about LLMs. The breakthrough will be an LLM almost entirely on one’s device. That level of security will be a major breakthrough. Bringing AI to the supply chain can be equally important and could be very important in the design, development. And manufacture of Apple products.
 
WWDC isn't that far away, three months or so.

But unless Apple makes an exception and changes their entire product launch strategy, which is highly(!) unlikely, no matter how promising Apple's AI turns out to be, it won't be available before iPhones 16 and iOS 18 launch in late September 2024, which is still more than half a year away.

The only thing that could make us forget how late Apple is going to be to the AI game is iPhones 16 and/or iOS 18 being insanely good and highly attractive.

Conversely, if Apple disappoints and postpones the biggest AI features to next year then the consequences would be dire to put it lightly.
 
Apple has bought over 30 AI companies in the last two years more than Microsoft and Google. Apple is not only the dark horse in the AI race, but it has all the ingredients to win in it.
Your highness

Apple purchased a number of companies to develop their car. Did you already forget that Apple discontinued that project? They did not win. They lost.
 
Apple, pretty late, ceasing EV development and putting the money on the AI table . Apple and its weird paces taking same decissions as others, but no hurries Tim!! Facebook car is around the corner.
 
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Within healthcare, DarwinAI’s technology resulted in the development of COVID-Net, an open source system to diagnose Covid-19 via chest x-rays.
I see a new Apple wearable incoming! Gotta move beyond blood oxygen.
 
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AI is evident throughout Apple’s offerings, particularly ML. The catching up description is opinion because they have not talked about LLMs. The breakthrough will be an LLM almost entirely on one’s device. That level of security will be a major breakthrough. Bringing AI to the supply chain can be equally important and could be very important in the design, development. And manufacture of Apple products.
Amazing how so many people don't realize the extent of AI automation in manufacturing and because Mac Rumors titled the article "Apple Buys DarwinAI Ahead of Major Generative AI Updates Coming in iOS 18" and used a Siri image they have totally misinterpreted whats being conveyed. Yes has nothing to do with WWDC 2024 OS's or Siri. :D
 


Apple acquired Canada-based company DarwinAI earlier this year to build out its AI team, reports Bloomberg. DarwinAI created AI technology for inspecting components during the manufacturing process, and it also had a focus on making smaller and more efficient AI systems.
....

If Apple wants to be able to rival Microsoft's Bing, OpenAI's ChatGPT, and other generative AI offerings, it will need to integrate generative AI into a range of products. Apple is testing large language models, and AI features are said to be coming to Siri, Shortcuts, Messages, Apple Music, and more.

This move doesn't doesn't hint toward making an hyper large LLM ChatGPT 'killer' strategy at all. Probably looking more so for AI/ML that fits on Apple devices rather than some "as large as possible" model that only fits in a super expensive data center soaking in maximum kilowatts of power.

A quite straightforward way of making the model small is to stop trying to make it do everything for everybody.


Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised that Apple will "break new ground" in generative AI in 2024. "We believe it will unlock transformative opportunities for our users," said Cook.

'generative' can be a straightforward as fixing photographs taken ( and it not looking like a botched photoshop hack). Don't need a monstrously large LLM to do that. DarwinAI inspection for manufacturing was very likely based on making inferences from video sensors. Pretty good chance enhancing AI from video sensors is going to play a role in weaving those folks into Apple's longer term strategy. ChatGPT doesn't really focus on that ( hence 'Chat' in the name. ).

Apple's "break new ground" commentary is often relative to their own current products . Bringing Siri into the modern times would be a huge step forward relative to Apple products. Google has "Magic Eraser" on their higher end Android phones. Translators ( just need to generate the different language not the underlying content/composition. ). etc. etc. Adobe (and other Video/Audio tool vendors) have narrow scoped generative features for photo/video/audio editing/correction/touch-ups.
 
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Apple has bought over 30 AI companies in the last two years more than Microsoft and Google. Apple is not only the dark horse in the AI race, but it has all the ingredients to win in it.
Let's hope they can at least make Siri as good as Google assistant was back a decade ago, because at the moment it still can't even tell me stats from a basketball game currently.
 
Early this year. So, do you really think they are gonna have something spectAIcular for ios18? Maybe they need more, much more time.
We'll see if I'm wrong in June
 
Apple has bought over 30 AI companies in the last two years more than Microsoft and Google. Apple is not only the dark horse in the AI race, but it has all the ingredients to win in it.
As Steve often pointed out, higher R&D spend doesn’t equate to more innovation. In fact, Apple was far more innovative when they were spending less than 1/30th of what Tim is spending today.
 
Apple got caught off guard.
The executives were busy hanging out mingling with Hollywood stars and Fashion Celebrities. The geeks at Microsoft and Google are years ahead of Apple now when it comes to AI. Apple software looks primitive compared to them.
Also, Apple's software development pace is glacial.
Look at their software. Final Cut and iWork. When was the last time they added any meaningful features!
Cook only understands purchasing and shipping and should never be in charge of innovation.
 
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