Apple Hires AI Team From Init.ai to Join Work on Siri

[MacRumors]

Apple this week "acqui-hired" the team from Init.ai, a startup that designed a smart assistant to allow customer service representatives to easily parse through and automate some interactions with users, reports TechCrunch.

The startup focused on creating an AI with natural language processing and machine learning to analyze chat-based conversations between humans.

Init.ai announced that it was shutting down its service earlier this week to join a new project.

Today is an exciting day for our team. Init.ai is joining a project that touches the lives of countless people across the world. We are thrilled and excited at the new opportunities this brings us.

However, this means Init.ai will discontinue its service effective December 16th 2017. While we wish to make this transition as smooth as possible, we cannot continue to operate Init.ai going forward.

Apple did not purchase Init.ai and will not obtain any intellectual property nor is there an indication that Apple plans to use any existing Init.ai services. Instead, Apple has taken on the Init.ai team, who will now work on Apple's Siri personal assistant.

The addition of the Init.ai team may hint at Apple's future Siri plans, with the company perhaps planning to build out more business integrations to supplement Business Chat, the iOS 11 iMessage feature that allows businesses to communicate with customers.

TechCrunch says it's not entirely clear how many people from Init.ai will be transitioning to Apple, but the startup only employed six people.

Article Link: Apple Hires AI Team From Init.ai to Join Work on Siri

 

[ryancgoodfellow]

Let me get this straight. Apple didn't buy the company. What exactly makes this an "acqui-hire" rather than a simple hire? Also, this says nothing about whether they work on Siri. This article (and its title) is misleading.

 

[LordQ]

Anything to improve Siri is good.

 

[Hawthorne2k]

Am I a bad person for initially reading that headline as "Apple Hires A-Team..." ?

 

[pat500000]

Anything to enhance SIRI should be good.

 

[macTW]

Sounds like the employees felt secure jobs at Apple were better than a cash purchase. Seeing as they are the capital worth “purchasing,” without jobs Apple doesn’t benefit. Hopefully us consumers benefit too!

Win-win-win

 

[RickInHouston]

I think apple saw the Google event earlier today and decided they needed reinforcements.

 

[xero9]

Maybe soon Siri will be able to translate "Canadian English".

 

[RuffyYoshi]

How about hiring some designers to fix iOS's terrible execution. Especially on the X.

 

[barkomatic]

I think apple saw the Google event earlier today and decided they needed reinforcements.

Yeah, the ability to translate in real time through headphones is a Star Trek level step forward. Apple needs to respond pretty quickly.

 

[pat500000]

Yeah, the ability to translate in real time through headphones is a Star Trek level step forward. Apple needs to respond pretty quickly.

It was real time, wasn't it?

 

[deany]

I would NEVER spend £1000 on a device with a 12 month warranty.
Truely shocking that apple thinks they can get away with this

UK

• Google Pixel 2 2 year warranty.
• One plus 5 2 year warranty.
• Samsung S8 2 year warranty.
• Samsung note 8 2 year warranty.

• ALL iphones 1 year warranty.

shame on you apple, put your money where your mouth is and offer standard 2 year Warranty.

 

[FelixDerKater]

Take Siri to the bus stop in the morning so she can go to school.

 

[ackmondual]

From what I keep hearing about Siri... too little too late? OTOH, I wouldn't want Google Assistant nor Alexa to get too complacent none of the less.

 

[Mactendo]

I’m afraid it won’t help. The problem is in management. Siri creators left Apple because they were unable to move forward with their vision.

 

[blacktape242]

yah speaking of messages, why the HELL did they remove google services from OSX?!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[akidd]

I would NEVER spend £1000 on a device with a 12 month warranty.
Truely shocking that apple thinks they can get away with this

UK

• Google Pixel 2 2 year warranty.
• One plus 5 2 year warranty.
• Samsung S8 2 year warranty.
• Samsung note 8 2 year warranty.

• ALL iphones 1 year warranty.

shame on you apple, put your money where your mouth is and offer standard 2 year Warranty.

Probably is two years. I returned my mbp as John Lewis had a longer warranty offer and was told Apple offered the same just didnt market it. She don't know why, just that was how it was.

 

[deany]

Probably is two years. I returned my mbp as John Lewis had a longer warranty offer and was told Apple offered the same just didnt market it. She don't know why, just that was how it was.

Yep, the impossible to prove "fault there prior to purchase" UK 6 year 'cover'.
cheers

 

[ErikGrim]

I would NEVER spend £1000 on a device with a 12 month warranty.
Truely shocking that apple thinks they can get away with this

UK

• Google Pixel 2 2 year warranty.
• One plus 5 2 year warranty.
• Samsung S8 2 year warranty.
• Samsung note 8 2 year warranty.

• ALL iphones 1 year warranty.

shame on you apple, put your money where your mouth is and offer standard 2 year Warranty.

Apple can’t offer a warranty below your country’s minimum warranty period. Hence in Australia Apple has to respect the 2 year warranty period. Apple Care is a hard sell down here.

 

[deany]

Apple can’t offer a warranty below your country’s minimum warranty period. Hence in Australia Apple has to respect the 2 year warranty period. Apple Care is a hard sell down here.

thanks for your reply, but your post makes Double Dutch, please re-read.
thanks

 

[ErikGrim]

thanks for your reply, but your post makes Double Dutch, please re-read.
thanks

My reply was perfectly cromulent, unlike this reply.

 

[FelixDerKater]

When does Microsoft step into this field?

 

[deany]

My reply was perfectly cromulent, unlike this reply.

Keep off the four X
cheers

 

[PsykX]

I would NEVER spend £1000 on a device with a 12 month warranty.
Truely shocking that apple thinks they can get away with this

UK

• Google Pixel 2 2 year warranty.
• One plus 5 2 year warranty.
• Samsung S8 2 year warranty.
• Samsung note 8 2 year warranty.

• ALL iphones 1 year warranty.

shame on you apple, put your money where your mouth is and offer standard 2 year Warranty.

Luckily here when I buy anything with my credit card, I have one more year of warranty. But then I would get 3 years with the others phones.

 

[deany]

Luckily here when I buy anything with my credit card, I have one more year of warranty. But then I would get 3 years with the others phones.

AMEX?