When it comes to the artificial intelligence (AI) frenzy, Big Tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are always vocal about their AI investments. They mention it in earnings calls and new product announcements. However, there’s one industry leader that remains relatively quiet about their AI efforts: Apple.
But behind the scenes, Apple has been actively investing in AI technology. In fact, since 2017, Apple has been the top buyer of AI and machine learning companies, surpassing even Microsoft and Meta. According to market research firm PitchBook, Apple has acquired 21 AI startups, nearly double the number acquired by Microsoft and Meta. This reflects Apple’s commitment to incorporating AI into their consumer products, including the iPhone and MacBook.
So why doesn’t Apple discuss its AI investments publicly? When asked about this during a conference call with investors and analysts, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained that the company prefers to announce things as they come to market, sticking to their usual approach. This is in contrast to Microsoft and Google, who seek real-time feedback to improve their AI products and therefore make public announcements about them.
What AI companies has Apple acquired?
Apple’s AI acquisitions cover a range of technologies, including self-driving technology, voice design, music generation, and image recognition. These investments align with the recent iPhone features introduced by Apple, such as personal voice creation and live voicemail transcription. During the same conference call mentioned earlier, Tim Cook emphasized that these features are made possible through AI and machine learning, highlighting Apple’s years of research in generative AI.
It’s worth noting that Apple’s approach to AI differs from that of Microsoft and Google. While the latter companies have been more open about their AI products, they have been more conservative in their acquisitions. This is partly due to increased antitrust scrutiny, which has made mergers and acquisitions challenging. Instead, Microsoft, Google, and others opt to collaborate with startups rather than acquiring them outright. This trend is evident in Amazon’s recent announcement of investing up to $4 billion in Anthropic, the creator of the AI chatbot Claude. This mirrors Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
