Apple Is Tight-Lipped On Artificial Intelligence Plan Against Samsung, Other Rivals

Apple really knows how to play games with its rivals, like Samsung and Google. Just this week, the Cupertino made a big step toward artificial intelligence, but it strategically left out key details on what it's going to be.

According to 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman in an interview with Bloomberg, Apple acquired Seattle-based startup Turi Inc. for $200 million.

Gurman revealed that Apple could be focusing on machine learning and artificial intelligence — two things that the AI startup could provide to Apple.

Turi, which was previously called Dato and originally named GraphLab back in its open-source project days, has been developing software technology and services that are based on machine learning.

Some of the startups' outputs include recommendation engines — like the one Pandora uses — and fraud detection software. It has also developed a means to analyzing customer usage patterns.

Given Turi's competency in creating useful machine learning technologies, it would not be surprising if Apple would use the AI company's advanced tools in improving its products and its famous digital assistant Siri.

However, despite the obvious reasons Apple might have in buying Turi, the company is tight-lipped on its real purpose behind the acquisition.
 
"Apple buys smaller companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purposes or plans," a statement from Apple said, according to Recode.

During Apple's earnings call in July, CEO Tim Cook said, "Machine learning is improving facial and image recognition in photos, predicting word choice while typing in messages and mail, and providing context awareness in maps for better directions. Deep learning within our products even enables them to recognize usage patterns and improve their own battery life."

Turi will continue to operate in Seattle, ZDNet has learned. The team is headed by Amazon professor of machine learning at the University of Washington Carlos Guestrin.

Turi is not the first AI-related acquisition made by Apple. The Cupertino-headquartered giant previously bought Perceptio and VocalIQ — the former is a machine learning startup, while the latter is a language processing firm.

Apple joins Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft in paying more attention to artificial intelligence as an instrument that is capable of producing more advanced technologies.