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Apple Hires Google's Chief of Search and Artificial Intelligence

I have waited for siri to be more than just an afterthought for years. At this point I have become so jaded that I will believe it when I see it. For the first two or so yuears it was a selling point. "It will get better". Well, I guess it did technically get better, but it was eclipsed by the competition. Even MS with their failed phone OS had a better thing going at the time.

Don't get me wrong. I want this to mean good things. But every time I get my hopes it its just disappointment.
 
Superhappytree said:
I wish Apple had their own search engine. They could use privacy as a high bragging point. “Apple Search” with a simple Apple logo I think would prove to be popular. They are the only ones that could take on Google search as the Apple brand itself is so popular that many would consider using it, especially if they made it the default on all of their devices. I realise that this will most definitely not happen though as Google has years of experience and is pretty much ingrained into everyone’s head and within pop culture as the only search engine for the entire internet but I can dream.
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Maybe Apple could buy Duck Duck Go ? That would be a great match and a fantastic opportunity. Tie that with Siri and the possibilities could be tremendous.
 
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Due to privacy issues, I wish Apple would not record and keep a recording of our voices and commands to Siri in the future. Its just creepy
 
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itsmilo said:
Is there no such thing as a „competitors clause“ or something in the US? How do all these people get snatched from their current position to start somewhere new doing the same thing
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what do you mean? Everyone knows the fastest way to get a payed more is to switch companies when your coming up. Im a building engineer and theres nothing stopping me from going from one company to another if the price is right
 
lordofthereef said:
I have waited for siri to be more than just an afterthought for years. At this point I have become so jaded that I will believe it when I see it. For the first two or so yuears it was a selling point. "It will get better". Well, I guess it did technically get better, but it was eclipsed by the competition. Even MS with their failed phone OS had a better thing going at the time.

Don't get me wrong. I want this to mean good things. But every time I get my hopes it its just disappointment.
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Same. Apple continues to be terrible at their software. They will buy out companies and poach top talent from other companies in hopes to make their software better. Unfortunately, it rarely helps because of the circle-jerk work environment at Apple.
 
Something is (still) rotten in the kingdom of artificial intelligence
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Bswails said:
I read the article yesterday that talk about google taking him out of that role. And the way the article spoke about this man I said he would be a great fit with Apple..I’m starting to get excited for 2019 and Siri...just PLEASE don’t make us have to buy new hardware to experience whatever’s coming!
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Most of Siri happens in the background on Apple's servers.
 
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This should be taken as what it is - great news for Apple and their products.

Yet people are still finding reasons to complain about this hire. It’s almost as if people don’t want Apple to get better or improve their products.
 
As for the non-compete clause in a contract in the US.......many of us have had to sign them for a usual period of 2 years with a mileage restriction, e.g., you cannot work within a 50 mile radius in a similar capacity for a 2 year period. The purpose is to prevent you from taking patients/clients/customers away from your current employer when you leave.

In the tech industry, since there are no "customers/clients/patients" that it makes no sense. High level employees have information in their heads that they can take anywhere in the world, or even share online should they want to do so for some reason. A non-compete doesn't make sense.

Finally, I also suspect that most high level developers at Apple have already analyzed existing tech products and software at Google. Apple has no interest in copying products. What they want and need is someone who can come into the Apple ecosystem with proven creativity and ability to expand AI offerings in their unique environment. This guy certainly fits the bill.
 
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John isnt the one who implemented the AI systems at Google. He is successor to Larry Heck, the true brain of Google's AI. Unfortunately, Larry is now at Samsung. This isnt really a score for Apple.
 
conceptvbs123 said:
John isnt the one who implemented the AI systems at Google. He is successor to Larry Heck, the true brain of Google's AI. Unfortunately, Larry is now at Samsung. This isnt really a score for Apple.
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I don't think we really want Google's version of AI built on user data.
 
In CA if you have a NDA or non-compete you are relieved of it in about a year. So for the first year he will work on relationship management, reviewing existing directions, making key suggestions that cannot be construed as walking on the prior employer IP. After that it is a free-for-all, except the limitations of patents of course.

Which raises my second point. He can work on patents and derivative works to fill in holes he observed elsewhere.

It helps Google is a data exploit company and Apple is a hardware and services company. Less overlap that way.
 
Baymowe335 said:
I don't think we really want Google's version of AI built on user data.
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Then how do you expect to build an AI system without user data? How do you expect Siri to know you when it doesnt know anything about the user? Some smart agent eh?

Going back the topic on hand, this site and many of the other tech blogs are blowing things out of proportion. John isnt a great hire for Apple when it comes to improving Siri. His big contribution to Apple may be more toward search technology then AI. He wasnt part of the original group in the AI department. He was a third party when Google bought his company.
 
deanthedev said:
This should be taken as what it is - great news for Apple and their products.

Yet people are still finding reasons to complain about this hire. It’s almost as if people don’t want Apple to get better or improve their products.
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It is great news, but it's clear that you are someone who carelessly forgives. The feeling for many people is more of a "wow... it took them that long" instead of a "yay they now have a ex-Google's Search/AI expert". You seem to be ignoring the fact that many have been disappointed by their Siri experience for years.

Many of us are hopeful for Apple to improve their products, but IMO Apple still has a long way to go. The recent news (rumor?) of them going away from Intel is not something I'm happy about.

Given Apple's questionable track record in their 1st party software/services/apps, it remains to be seen what the long term results for this will be.

By the way, many companies announce the hiring of people such as this to attract interest and talent in their future product. After all, there are a number of Siri positions opened that seem to have difficulty attracting talent.
 
itsmilo said:
Is there no such thing as a „competitors clause“ or something in the US? How do all these people get snatched from their current position to start somewhere new doing the same thing
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You must not be aware. About three years ago, companies like Apple and Intel and Google were SLAMMED, taken to court, because they had such "secret anti-poaching agreements" to prevent poaching each others employees. The said employees then felt they were shackled and their employability rights limited, and they hired (competent) lawyers and took companies like Apple and Intel and Google to court. The companies were forced to a settlement in the tune of over $400 million. The companies got a legal bloody nose and have since dropped such tactics.

Apple-Google Anti-Poaching Lawsuit Nearing $415 Million Settlement

 
Solomani said:
You must not be aware. About three years ago, companies like Apple and Intel and Google were SLAMMED, taken to court, because they had such "secret anti-poaching agreements" to prevent poaching each others employees. The said employees then felt they were shackled and their employability rights limited, and they hired (competent) lawyers and took companies like Apple and Intel and Google to court. The companies were forced to a settlement in the tune of over $400 million. The companies got a legal bloody nose and have since dropped such tactics.

Apple-Google Anti-Poaching Lawsuit Nearing $415 Million Settlement
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That's not what he was asking about. What you're quoting was about an agreement between companies to not hire each others' current employees. That's illegal nationwide. Antitrust violation.

What he was inquiring about was an agreement between a company and an employee that limits the employee's ability to work for a competitor down the line for a certain amount of time and/or within a certain geographic area. The legality and enforceability of such agreements varies by state, with them being basically unenforceable in California.
 
itsmilo said:
So you could like work 5 years at Daimler and then move on to VW and be like „at daimler we were working on this and that by doing these things that way“? Crazy to me
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No that would be sharing trade secrets, which is illegal. Basically the rule is you can work wherever you want, but you cannot talk about confidential information from your previous employer.
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rafark said:
Dirty move.
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Not at all. Apple saw more value in the guy than google did. The man has the right to go wherever he wants.
 
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