A start-up to propel Apple’s AI synergies

MUMBAI, INDIA: Apple has acquired Perceptio, a start-up that develops technology to allow companies to run artificial intelligence systems on smart phones without needing to share as much user data.

No financial details of the deal have been disclosed.

In conversation with Bloomberg, Colin Johnson, a company spokesman stated, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”

According to Bloomberg, Perceptio leaders Nicolas Pinto and Zak Stone are said to be both established AI researchers who specialize in developing image-recognition systems using deep learning.

Deep learning is an approach to artificial intelligence that lets computers to learn to identify and classify sensory input.

The company’s goal is to develop techniques to run AI image-classification systems on smart phones without having the need to draw our large sums of data. In the past, Perceptio had also released an app called Smoothie, using their AI skills and some advanced software algorithms.

It must be noted that Apple acquired a UK-based start-up called VocalIQ, last week. The company had developed a voice assistant that it claimed was superior Siri. Both these acquisitions seem to be headed in a direction where in it can give competition to Microsoft’s Cortana and Google Now, Bloomberg noted.