Apple Making Big Hiring Push in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

[Manderby]

The report suggests Apple is looking to challenge Google's lead in features such as Google Now... Apple's machine learning efforts are in large part built with Siri in mind...

How com Siri is the only thing that comes to everybodys mind when talking about machine learning and AI?

Machine Learning and AI have very little to do with what Siri needs. Steering cars on the other hand...

Anyway, they will probably hit the wall at 95% detection rate like everyone else. Don't be too excited.

 

[AngerDanger]

Why is that odd? It's not more odd than any other application's inability to change some random setting. The difference is that you can not see the options, it's an open ended interface much like a command line interface. If you look at preferences for example, all available options are visible in the GUI.

Certain queries prompt Siri to state it doesn't understand and ask if a web search his preferred, but in the screenshots, it specifically acknowledges what it can't do. Using your GUI analogy, this would be akin to having a list of options that you can't actually change. It's odd, taunting… and vaguely menacing.

 

[subsonix]

Certain queries prompt Siri to state it doesn't understand and ask if a web search his preferred, but in the screenshots, it specifically acknowledges what it can't do. Using your GUI analogy, this would be akin to having a list of options that you can't actually change. It's odd, taunting… and vaguely menacing.

Yes but it acknowledges this after you tried an option that is not available. Much like typing a command in a command line interface that is not available. You'll then getting error telling you that what you tried is not available.

The GUI doesn't need a list of things that is not available, since all available options are visible, and it's not possible to pick unavailable options. It's a strenght of the GUI.

 

[CB1234]

They should spend more time working on their maps database. All I wanted was a sandwich and this came up:

View attachment 579575

They do make some great sandwiches in Delhi, if you are up for a 'Delhi belly'....

 

[SoAnyway]

Skynet here we come!

 

[firewood]

Another thing that's going to stop Apple beating Google in areas like this is it's reluctance to throw money at experimentation and blue skies R&D (all that stuff they nixed on Job's return).

This reluctance is going to keep them from hiring a lot of top research talent who don't want their discoveries simply thrown away (e.g. not even published in a technical journal or licensed out, like the big R&D labs did in days of yore) if it isn't a great fit for one of Apple's relatively few products (compared against their R&D budget).

Note that a Bell labs technical publication led to Woz and Jobs first commercial product. Without published blue sky R&D, Apple might not have even come into existence.

 

[zakarhino]

I'm sick of this whole 'privacy' push. I want Siri to be able to access all my stuff, how else is it meant to be useful. Who cares if a computer goes through your data. It should at least be an opt in feature.

It's strictly preference when it comes to how much information people are willing to release. The opt in feature makes sense but it will have to be pulled off like HealthKit and the way that works with apps requesting information. HealthKit got it right because people could see exactly what each app wants and have a general understanding of what it'll use it for.

Let's face it folks, Google will always be better at this because they don't restrict themselves. The downside of their platform is that medium-great performance comes at the cost of privacy. Some people might not care how much information is released... That's fine, but in my case I don't want everything I do to be mapped out and processed just for Google to make some money. Google Now isn't even that good.

I will never sacrifice privacy again just to be up to speed on the latest buzz. This is why I came back to using only Apple products such as my iPhone, my MacBook and so on. This is why I plan on replacing my PC with a Mac Pro or iMac in the future. This is why I no longer use Google products besides my Gmail and Google Search -- one of which I plan on fading out if possible (Gmail). There's been all this controversy with Windows 10 spying on users too, forcing them to use proprietary junk that literally gives Microsoft the right to upload your files in order to 'Improve Microsoft services.'

What utter bollocks. They made me switch back to ubuntu GNOME temporarily just so I could sort stuff out and keep some of the server software up and running for my family. Really cannot wait to ditch Windows/Google completely in favor of Apple. They're one of the last big boys left in the game that follow my tech philosophy I mentioned earler: "never sacrifice privacy just to be up to speed on the latest buzz."

That's ultimately why I love Apple products. Not because they're keen on privacy, but because they develop products based on how to make a great user experience that's fun, simple and safe. I don't mind paying a premium price because I know that's how Apple makes their money.

 

[usarioclave]

One problem with AI/learning is that historically each person's "context" needs to be dumped and loaded on demand. That's an engineering problem, and at someone point someone will figure out a better way.

The real problem is that someone needs to do a bunch of thinking about how to represent everything in a way that lends itself to computation. Having been a consumer of machine learning/AI technologies a bit, I can say that the current approaches only go so far, and some of them are really dead-ends. For example, it's actually easier to use straight keyword matching than trying to train an NLP engine to recognize entities...which is sort of sad and pathetic. Ontologies are really just bullsh*t on steroids. And all of them suffer from context issues (see above).

 

[Crzyrio]

Apple is late to the innovation game again. [Sigh]

Really? To me it sounds like they are the ones taking the hard road and innovating.

They are trying to do everything on device, compared to competitors that just take your data process it, learn from it etc and then send it back.

Anything AI related is not easy and can very easily take up a LOT of processing power.

 

[Piggie]

Can someone explain to me please, why I read a few articles, and even a video of "WOZ" saying the same thing that Siri USED to be great before Apple took it over, and it went downhill fast since then.

How did Apple make Siri worse?
What did they do to Siri to change it?

 

[Thunderhawks]

They should spend more time working on their maps database. All I wanted was a sandwich and this came up:

View attachment 579575

So, what did you order?
Over there they have no beef with maps.

 

[dannyyankou]

So, what did you order?
Over there they have no beef with maps.

Hahah, I ended up ordering from a local deli. Chicken cutlet, bacon, mozzarella, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce. And yes, I know it's unhealthy. But so good.

 

[Jax44]

They should spend more time working on their maps database. All I wanted was a sandwich and this came up:

View attachment 579575

They have sandwiches in Dehli

 

[Ingot]

Does anybody knows how to delete comments on Macrumors?

Go see Doc Brown in Hill Valley, CA and he can take you right back in his Delorean to the time before you entered the comment. You can then stop yourself from then entered the said comment in the first place. Oh, and don't forget to take that Sports Almanac with you and give it to yourself in the past. May as well make a couple of bucks on the side...

oh wait, that delorean was destroyed. And the Doc is flying around with his wife and two kids in a steam engine. Never mind the whole thing...

 

[HenryDJP]

Does anybody knows how to delete comments on Macrumors?

I would think you would Ask Siri.

 

[Gasu E.]

What is it you think Google does that Apple doesn't? I've asked this question of several posters who espouse a similar belief as you. None ever answer. Your posts tend to be very well written. Maybe you can help me see the difference between what the companies do with data. I'm not talking about the oft quote "their business model". I'm talking about actual customer data. Let's use our data, Gasu E. and 69Mustang, as examples. What would either company do with it?

Thank you for your courteous reply. Your question deserves a long, well-thought out answer. But since today's a holiday. I'm going to give you a short response, right off the top of my head, instead.

Of course, we don't know anything for sure, as both companies are highly secretive. My off-the-top-of-head characterization is that Apple provides a number of well-defined services, for which the user must very explicitly opt-in, and that personal data is only used as necessary to provide those services. In contrast, Google may collect data to provide a desired service (such as Search or Maps), but then uses that data for purposes not specifically desired by the user, specifically advertising. What Google does is not unethical, but the two companies are coming from a different place philosophically. Google's business is to give away services in order to monetize data; while Apple just sells products and services straight-up. I don't have an reason to think Google is currently doing anything corrupt; but Google is going to be coming up with more and more clever ways of monetizing personal data, and there is a much greater chance of them eventually crossing an ethical line.

 

[MRrainer]

What did you ask it for the stopwatch, out of interest? Normally "Set my timer to x" Siri can do.

Siri's functionality seems to be growing slowly. You'd think there would be a small team at Apple who's job is to work rapidly through the list of things like "Siri, turn the volume down" type commands, even if there are other people working on more advance stuff.

Timer is the opposite of stopwatch...
Another thing: she can't turn on the flashlight.
It seems to have worked at some point, but the feature was removed after some iOS7 Beta and never re-appeared.

BTW: Upon researching this, google would send me ads for the fleshlight. As if...

 

[H2SO4]

I really appreciate Apple's emphasis on privacy, especially in this post-Snowden era. It's what keeps me away from great but creepy services like Google Photos.

Can you just list how much of your data Google actually sells/collects in comparison to Apple please, (with creditable sources)?
Thanks.

 

[subsonix]

Can you just list how much of your data Google actually sells/collects in comparison to Apple please, (with creditable sources)?
Thanks.

One company's entire business model evolves around collecting data, and their stated vision is to collect all the world's data.

 

[McScooby]

You can shut Siri off and use the old voice command system.

How hard can it be to have siri check for an internet connection? If available does what it's asked, maybe & if not skips back to old school voice control, then again, maybe apple's concerned that old school version would tarnish the siri name as it was sort of pants.
I set an alarm last night hands free, all good & did as asked, but one thing that annoyed me was the screen delay was on so long, I then asked siri to put phone to sleep, needless to say...

 

[Wurm5150]

I think Apple should open up user data more for Siri. The difference with user data between Google and Apple is that Apple doesn't sell it for advertising.

Put it this way, Apple doesn't track your location, you track yourself and Apple is just giving you the tools and ways to do so. Same goes with user data.

 

[H2SO4]

One company's entire business model evolves around collecting data, and their stated vision is to collect all the world's data.

Great. You missed the part about creditable sources.
Can you;
a). Try again, but with proof as requested.
b). Don't bother if you nothing verifiable to say.
I mean what a crock. A statement with nothing to back it up.

 

[subsonix]

Great. You missed the part about creditable sources.
Can you;
a). Try again, but with proof as requested.
b). Don't bother if you nothing verifiable to say.
I mean what a crock. A statement with nothing to back it up.

It's common knowledge that Google's vision is to collect all the worlds data and that their business evolves around data collecting...

You just set the request up in a way that is impossible to answer. A credible source would be someone with insight in both companies. Someone like that wouldn't post an answer to thread like this, how convenient..

 

[HenryDJP]

How hard can it be to have siri check for an internet connection? If available does what it's asked, maybe & if not skips back to old school voice control, then again, maybe apple's concerned that old school version would tarnish the siri name as it was sort of pants.
I set an alarm last night hands free, all good & did as asked, but one thing that annoyed me was the screen delay was on so long, I then asked siri to put phone to sleep, needless to say...

It probably has to do with Siri waiting for you to say more before executing the job requested,rather than cutting you off. That's why I don't try to everything 100% hands-free. Once I say to Siri what I need to ask her I tap the screen at the bottom and she immediately responds.

 

[uid15]

"Smart phones" are no more smart, and computers no more "intelligent" than a football is able to kick itself (which, coincidentally, is what many people will be doing when they realise that all this "intelligence" has gone offline, and they can't do basic mathematics or measurements, nor navigate to the end of their street without the help of some screen or other.)

Doh.

All that's underneath is transistors and solder, not sentience or soul. Anyone who believes otherwise is off their rocker.

Use your brains; they don't need upgrading or reinstalling.