Apple has reportedly poached a team of AI experts from Google to establish a secretive artificial intelligence lab in Zurich, Switzerland. The tech giant is said to have recruited at least 36 specialists from Google, with John Giannandrea leading the charge as the senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy. They have set up a new research and development facility named Vision Lab, which has been shrouded in secrecy.
The lab in Zurich is home to experts from FaceShift and Fashwell, who focus on AI-powered visual search and generative AI models. The team has been working on cutting-edge technology that allows users to make queries using text and imagery input to receive accurate results. This includes functions like identifying where to purchase a specific item based on an image captured by the user.
Apple’s move into AI has been relatively quiet compared to other tech giants like Microsoft and Google. However, recent leaks suggest that Apple is gearing up to launch new AI products under the name GenAI. Speculations point to the release of AI models utilizing neural processing units (NPU) in 2024, with on-device AI capabilities.
Despite Apple’s secretive nature surrounding its AI projects, leaks and confirmations from CEO Tim Cook indicate that the company is poised to make significant advancements in the AI space. Reports suggest that Apple may partner with Google to introduce its Gemini AI on iPhones, hinting at something groundbreaking in the works for the near future. With Apple’s gradual unveiling and advancements in AI, the tech industry is abuzz with anticipation for what the tech giant will reveal next.
