Apple Acquires French AI Company Specializing in On-Device Processing

[smulji]

Many of its innovations such as the graphical user interface, a mouse, and document-centric computing, were taken from the Alto computer developed at Xerox PARC.
Siri: It was co-founded by Dag Kittlaus, Tom Gruber, and UCLA alumnus Adam Cheyer. Kittlaus named Siri after a co-worker in Norway; the name is a short form of the name Sigrid, from Old Norse Sigríðr, composed of the elements sigr "victory" and fríðr "beautiful".

And Apple Silicon was created as a result of the purchase of PA Semi

 

[citysnaps]

I'm sure the inevitable "doom 'n' gloom" pain train will plow right through this article (like everything else), but I, for one, am glad they're branching out and buying up important startups to expand their AI efforts. Yes, it's not homegrown, but at least they're putting forth the effort.

Sadly, that's true and is a tradition here going back 20 years of incurable gloom and doom unhappiness by many.

Most people don't know that Apple has been quietly working on AI for years. The acquisition is probably a smart move, especially relating to AVP.

 

[nt5672]

Takes like 10 years for Apple to implement something

I would phrase it, "Takes like 10 years for Apple to abandon it and force anyone that was a technology leader to leave."

 

[PeterKeller]

Meta released Llama3, I can run it on M1 Max locally using MLX. My Nvidia 4090 Workstation can only dream of running it. If Apple keeps on pushing On device strategy, iPhones and iPads may run lot of AI locally.

Really? I'd like to try this. Any how-to blogs you can point me to?

 

[turbineseaplane]

RAM will likely be a factor in how well legacy devices run AI locally...

Luckily they've been shortchanging customers on RAM for a long time, so it will force a whole bunch of required upgrades!

Maybe time to even raise the RAM upgrade price a little bit ... you know... because "it's Apple"
Special RAM that's "AI Ready" or "Neural Engine Powered" and "tuned for Apple Silicon" ... or some other complete and utter BS, as usual

A Tim Cook Special, yet again!

 

[TechnoMonk]

Luckily they've been shortchanging customers on RAM for a long time, so it will force a whole bunch of required upgrades!

Maybe time to even raise the RAM upgrade price a little bit ... you know... because "it's Apple"
Special RAM that's "AI Ready" or "Neural Engine Powered" and "tuned for Apple Silicon" ... or some other complete and utter BS, as usual

A Tim Cook Special, yet again!

Have you seen RAM to price ratio of Nvidia? You can buy a whole Mac for the price of Nvidia GPU memory requirements.

 

[macduke]

While I like the idea of on-device processing, I fear for my battery life.

 

[red elma]

Awesome news...

 

[TechnoMonk]

Really? I'd like to try this. Any how-to blogs you can point me to?

Look up Ollama

GitHub - kevinhermawan/Ollamac: A macOS app for interacting with the Ollama models

A macOS app for interacting with the Ollama models - kevinhermawan/Ollamac

github.com

If you want a webUI like ChatGPT. Use open-webui.

GitHub - open-webui/open-webui: User-friendly WebUI for LLMs (Formerly Ollama WebUI)

User-friendly WebUI for LLMs (Formerly Ollama WebUI) - open-webui/open-webui

github.com

If you are python/swift developer, Apple MLX GitHub has example code.

I have custom code in Python/swift using MLX to run on my Mac or iPad Pro. Llama.cpp and LLM studio are other options.

👾 LM Studio - Discover and run local LLMs

Find, download, and experiment with local LLMs

lmstudio.ai

I haven’t used this but worth checking out.
https://www.maginative.com/article/how-to-run-llama-3-on-your-pc-or-mac/

Llama70b is about 40 GB, make sure you have enough RAM.

 

[GrayFlannel]

No one I know of (ChatGTP and the like all seem to require server side support). If you know any major player running their AI entirely on device, please enlight us.

On-Device AI Is a Whole New Way of Experiencing Artificial Intelligence

At MWC 2024, I saw firsthand how AI is fundamentally reshaping current and future devices, from phones to robots.

www.cnet.com

Qualcomm On-Device AI Powers Future Products From Phones To PCs

AI analyst Paul Smith-Goodson provides details on Qualcomm's newest products designed to enable on-device AI as announced at the Mobile World Congress Barcelona event.

www.forbes.com

 

[dstardom]

Instead of developing the technology on its own, it purchases other startups.
Nothing wrong, mind you, but it says a lot about the company. Regard the IA Apple is clearly behind all the others, WWDC24 will be an important test for them. To see if it has still time to be part of this game or not.

Apple did the same thing for iTunes believe it or not
Almost the exact same thing - buy someone (very secretly/quietly) and then adapt it to their needs.
Agree that they're behind, just like they were on digital music (behind Napster)

 

[TechnoMonk]

Aren’t there many major players pushing on-device AI? How did you come down to only Apple?

Pushing and doing are two different things. Nvidia CEO recent guidance was pretty much focussed on high End GPU clusters. Nvidia even in the workstation is confined to 24 GB, laptop GPU is 16 GB. Apple Silicon can support lot more. And Apple with recent MLX progress is far ahead. I will change my option if Nvidia can come up with something more than 4090.

 

[GrayFlannel]

Pushing and doing are two different things. Nvidia CEO recent guidance was pretty much focussed on high End GPU clusters. Nvidia even in the workstation is confined to 24 GB, laptop GPU is 16 GB. Apple Silicon can support lot more. And Apple with recent MLX progress is far ahead. I will change my option if Nvidia can come up with something more than 4090.

Pushing. I used your words.
Apple does not seem to be the only major player pushing for in device AI.
In fact, it appears that many major players see a benefit and pushing for it. Please see post #60.

 

[gatorvet96]

So apple tries to catch up in buying other companies. Takes time to integrate and get results. Seems not enough know how available in-house.
Can’t be too much for iOS 18.

Every single large corporation in tech buys other companies for intellectual property. All of them. There is often more creativity with start-ups then with coasting corporations.

 

[Tagbert]

So apple tries to catch up in buying other companies. Takes time to integrate and get results. Seems not enough know how available in-house.
Can’t be too much for iOS 18.

Generally, by the time an acquisition is announced, the acquiring company has been working with the acquired for long enough to have integrated their products. The actual acquisition is a defensive action to keep others out.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Pushing. I used your words.
Apple does not seem to be the only major player pushing for in device AI.
In fact, it appears that many major players see a benefit and pushing for it. Please see post #60.

Doesn’t change the fact Apple is far ahead. Semantics.

 

[Torty]

Generally, by the time an acquisition is announced, the acquiring company has been working with the acquired for long enough to have integrated their products. The actual acquisition is a defensive action to keep others out.

Can't confirm. Did you ever work for a company which was acquired by another company? You know nothing cause the management is not allowed to give any details about the buyer until the acquisition is done. I would be very surprised if this procedure is different especially it it's a public company which must inform shareholders about such activities.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Can't confirm. Did you ever work for a company which was acquired by another company? You know nothing cause the management is not allowed to give any details about the buyer until the acquisition is done. I would be very surprised if this procedure is different especially it it's a public company which must inform shareholders about such activities.

Not for acquiring small companies that aren’t traded publicly. Apple doesn’t announce every acquisition. Many of them get reported after months by folks on LinkedIn changing their work to Apple.

 

[Populus]

Did everyone just forget about all the past acquisitions by Apple? It bought Siri, it bought Logic Pro, it bought facial recognition for iPhoto, it bought Final Cut Pro, it bought a number of companies in order to bring in-house expertise for iPod and iPhone development. Apple even needed to buy back Steve Jobs via NeXT. Don't get me wrong, Apple has done a ton of innovation, but strategic acquisitions played a big part in making that innovation happen. I don't see this being any different.

Don’t forget Face ID.

Apple bought the Israeli company that developed the technology behind the formerly known as Project Natal, commercially known as Xbox Kinect.

 

[JosephAW]

I can speak some French

 

[picpicmac]

but it says a lot about the company.

Welcome to capitalism. Hope you enjoy your stay.

 

[Ta_whirimatea]

Oh great, the French.

Hey Siri, what is today's weather?

"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries."

NI !

 

[dstardom]

Don’t forget Face ID.

Apple bought the Israeli company that developed the technology behind the formerly known as Project Natal, commercially known as Xbox Kinect.

Don't forget iTunes

 

[rp2011]

So apple tries to catch up in buying other companies. Takes time to integrate and get results. Seems not enough know how available in-house.
Can’t be too much for iOS 18.

For a company like Apple, this is probably the better strategy than just assigning people to work on trending spec technologies. You get technologies from companies that are focused and propelled by passionate people with specific ideas that are pushed forward by sheer will, rather than assigned by a manager. Especially as engineers inside Apple are most likely already swamped with the daily tasks to keep the company running.

 

[frownface]

I'll never understand why apple never tried to buy openai. Hubris maybe?