Did you know that, according to CEO Tim Cook, Apple acquires a company every two to three weeks?\u00a0 It\u2019s just added another startup to its long line of AI acquisitions.<\/span>\u00a0According to a report by GeekWire, the Cupertino-based company has made a deal with Xnor.ai, an edge-based AI startup, for $200 million.<\/p>\n What is edge-based AI, you may ask? It\u2019s a type of AI that executes algorithms locally (meaning on the hardware it\u2019s being used for), instead of relying on the cloud.<\/span><\/p>\n Xnor.ai specializes in image recognition software that can even run on low-powered devices. We know that iPhones aren\u2019t low-powered by any means, but this startup can help make the on-device processing mode efficient. Plus, it can help Apple leverage machine learning in future devices that might have comparatively less processing power than a top-of-the-line phone (Apple Glasses, anyone?).<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FG31XxX7ra8<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ali Farhadi, the co-founder of the company, told GeekWire in an interview last year the company has a self-service platform for developers who aren\u2019t accustomed to coding for AI; it uses drag-and-drop modules and libraries that can run on practically any device:<\/span><\/p>\n At Xnor our mission is to deliver AI everywhere, for everyone. We make AI everywhere a reality by enabling leading global brands to run state-of-the-art deep learning models on anything from a $2 batteryless piece of hardware to the cloud.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n According to a report by CBInsights published last year, Apple led the AI acquisition race in 2019, having snapped up more than 20 startups in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n Some notable AI purchases from Apple over the years include Novauris Technologies (developer of Siri), the music recognition app Shazam, self-driving tech company Drive.ai,\u00a0and Spectral Edge \u2014 a startup that helps improve image quality on smartphones.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve reached out to Apple for more details on the acquisition, and we\u2019ll update the story once we hear back.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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