iPhone maker bolsters artificial intelligence efforts to compete with rivals

Apple is aggressively building its artificial intelligence (AI) team by poaching dozens of experts from Google and establishing a secretive laboratory in Zurich, as the tech giant intensifies its efforts to develop new AI models and products to rival its competitors.

According to a Financial Times analysis of LinkedIn profiles, public job postings, and research papers, the $2.7 trillion company has significantly expanded its global AI and machine learning team through a hiring spree in recent years.

Apple has particularly focused on recruiting talent from Google, attracting at least 36 specialists from its rival since the appointment of John Giannandrea as its top AI executive in 2018.

While the majority of Apple’s AI team is based in offices in California and Seattle, the company has also established a significant presence in Zurich. Professor Luc Van Gool from ETH Zurich mentioned that Apple’s acquisitions of local AI start-ups, including FaceShift and Fashwell, prompted the establishment of a research laboratory known as its “Vision Lab” in Zurich.

Employees in Zurich have been involved in Apple’s research on advanced AI models, incorporating text and visual inputs to generate responses, such as those seen in OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot.

Apple has been discreet about its AI plans, unlike its competitors Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, which have announced multibillion-dollar investments in AI technology. However, industry insiders suggest that Apple is focusing on deploying generative AI on its mobile devices, enabling AI chatbots and apps to run directly on the phone’s hardware and software, rather than relying on cloud services.

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, has indicated that the company has been conducting research across various AI technologies and investing responsibly in the new technology.

Although Apple has been developing AI products for over a decade, such as its voice assistant Siri, it has maintained a cautious approach to AI features due to concerns about incorrect or problematic responses from language models.

Apple’s upcoming AI features may be showcased at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Analysts expect the next iPhone to include upgraded Siri capabilities, enabling deeper integration with apps through voice control, potentially revolutionizing the user experience