Artificial intelligence

Apple publishes its very first AI research paper

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 26, 2016

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) research communities have been critical of Apple's secretiveness to the point that it's hurt the firm's recruiting efforts and prompted it to change its tough stance against publicizing any internal AI findings. Last weekend, Apple finally published its very first AI paper, Forbes reported today.

Submitted for publication on November 15, the document outlines a technique for improving the training of an algorithm's ability to recognize objects on images using computer-generated images rather than real-world ones.

Apple’s machine learning researchers are now free to publish their findings

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 22, 2017

Apple demands that its machine learning (ML) experts and artificial intelligence (AI) researchers do no publish their findings in research papers or share results of their work with fellow ML/AI experts, which scientists think is preventing the company from recruiting the brightest minds in the field. Realizing its mistake, Apple is changing its stance.

As announced by Russ Salakhutd, Apple's director of AI research, the company’s machine-learning researchers are now free to publish some of their breakthroughs in and confer with colleagues.

Amazon’s new grocery store uses artificial intelligence and sensors to eliminate checkout

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 5, 2016

Online retail giant Amazon is testing a new type of brick-and-mortar convenience store where you simply walk in, pick up your items and walk out, no clerk or a cash register required whatsoever because everything you've put in the shopping basket is automatically charged to your Prime account as soon as you leave the store. Located at 2131 7th Ave in Seattle, the futuristic grocery store, dubbed Amazon Go, has been four years in the making.

The system uses computer vision, sensor fusion and deep learning to detect when goods are removed and returned to the shelves. Amazon's retail store of the future that eliminates checkout is launching in early-2017.

Video showdown: Siri on iPhone 7 Plus vs. Google Assistant on Pixel XL

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 22, 2016

Siri continues to receive criticism over at times unreliable performance although Apple's been advancing its personal digital assistant by leaps and bounds since its debut in October 2011.

Google, on the other hand, is regularly praised for its powerful knowledge graph and accuracy.

You probably know that the search company's exciting new feature, Assistant, recently made its debut on the new Pixel smartphones.

With that in mind, YouTuber Marques Brownlee took it upon himself to pit the Pixel's Assistant against the iPhone's Siri in a cool side-by-side video comparison.

Let the battle of the smartphone voice assistants begin!

Tim Cook says Apple wants to use AI to boost iPhone battery life

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 17, 2016

Apple's boss Tim Cook traveled around Japan on a bullet train last week as part of his whirlwind tour of the country, his first visit since becoming CEO.

Speaking to Nikkei Asian Review, Cook expressed hope that Apple Pay will help realize a cashless society and hinted that the company's new research and development center in Yokohama, near Tokyo, would be “very different” from its Chinese R&D center as it would explore “deep engineering”.

He then said that Apple wants to use artificial intelligence to turbo charge the iPhone battery life.

Samsung buying Viv, the AI assistant developed by Siri creators

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Samsung has agreed to acquire Viv, the next-gen AI assistant that was developed by Siri co-founders Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyer. TechCrunch reports that it will continue to operate as an independent company, providing services to Samsung and its platforms.

Viv made numerous headlines earlier this year, when the team demonstrated the power of its assistant. In one scenario, it was able to successfully order a pizza over the Internet customized with toppings from several employees with a few simple voice commands.

Apple’s spun Turi into its machine learning division

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 31, 2016

After acquiring machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) startup Turi for a reported $200 million, Apple is now ramping up hiring for its new machine learning division and has spun Turi into that unit, according to job posts first discovered by MacRumors. Apple's new division should remain in Seattle, where Turi was originally based.

Steven Levy confirms that some of the data in Apple iBrain can be restored to a new phone

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2016

Journalist Steven Levy's excellent in-depth look at Apple's machine learning and artificial intelligence systems used throughout iOS and its other products have left some people wondering about transferring the so-called iBrain database to a new device. Apple told Levy that iBrain is local to a device and doesn't get sent to the cloud.

The explanation promoted some people to wonder if that means that iBrain has to start all over again after getting a new phone, and lose all memory of what it learned in the process. As it turns out, some of the information in that “brain” can indeed be restored and moved to a new device in a safe manner.

A fascinating look at how artificial intelligence and machine learning work at Apple

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 22, 2017

Respected journalist Steven Levy has scored another nice exclusive with a new write-up over at Backchannel, a Wired Media Group property, giving us a rare inside look at how artificial intelligence and machine learning work at Apple.

The article contains a lot of gems, with company executives Eddy Cue, Craig Federighi, Phil Schiller and Siri leads Tom Gruber and Alex Acero providing a bunch of previously unknown facts about Apple's AI efforts, including this one: machine learning has enabled Apple to cut Siri's error rate by a factor or two.