Apple acquires Indian machine learning startup
In June 2016, Apple acquired Hyderabad based start-up Tuplejump, to expand its expertise in artificial intelligence. Tuplejump's software specializes in processing and analyzing massive sets of data speedily. Tuplejump employed a dozen employees, some of whom were already based in Seattle, U.S. Apple spokesperson said they buy smaller technology companies from time to time "but we don't discuss our purpose or plans".
Tuplejump
Tuplejump described themselves on their website as "one of the early adopters of these 'big-data' technologies." In their experiences of assisting Fortune 500 companies adopt 'big data' technologies, Tuplejump realized the acute need to simplify 'data management technologies' and thus started their quest. Tuplejump began building technology that was "simple to use, scalable and would allow people to ask difficult questions on huge datasets."
What is in it for Apple?
Tech experts suggested that Apple was keenly interested in FiloDB, an opensource project that Tuplejump was working on. It applied machine learning concepts, including analytics, to massive amounts of complex data while it streamed in. It's expected that FiloDB will continue to exist independently of Tuplejump's acquisition. Experts suggest that Tuplejump's concepts could be applied to cloud services namely Siri, iTunes and Apple Music.
October 2015: Apple's acquisition of Perceptio
Apple acquired Perceptio that deploys AI to classify photos on smartphones. Perceptio's technology equips phones to perform advanced calculations without being required to store user data in the cloud. Its founders, Zak Stone and Nicolas Pinto, had previously also created a photosharing app called Smoothie.
Apple's spate of acquisitions in machine learning
Over the last year, Apple acquired three technology companies in the machine learning sector. Few months ago, Apple bought AI startup 'Turi' that allows brands to embed machine learning into applications. Its services are put to use for sentiment analysis, fraud detection etc. likely on social media. Apple also acquired Emotient, a company that deploys AI to identify and act upon facial expressions.
Apple's subtle use of AI
Apple deploys 'machine learning' in a subtle manner. For instance, iPhone users are reminded of appointments that they haven't yet entered into the Calendar app. In upcoming iOS 10, future advancements will be able to smooth out Siri's diction to make it sound au naturel.
