Apple Gears Up for On-Device AI Revolution with Strategic Acquisitions

Apple has been quietly conducting a succession of artificial intelligence-related acquisitions and staff recruitment in order to introduce on-device AI to its next-generation iPhones.

Apple's Big AI Push Is Implied By Startup Acquisitions And Job Postings

Apple appears to be focusing on "tackling the technological problem of running AI through mobile devices." To that end, it has acquired several AI-related startups, the most recent of which occurred early last year when it purchased California-based WaveOne, which provides AI-powered video compression, as per Financial Times.

According to a recent Morgan Stanley research note, nearly half of Apple's AI job postings have mentioned "Deep learning," which refers to the methods that power generative AI. Previous sources indicate that Apple has been testing its "Ajax" large language model (LLM) since early 2023, but unlike LLMs such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Apple's major goal is to produce generative AI that operates locally on-device rather than being backed by cloud services in data centers.

The challenge in reaching that goal includes optimizing the LLM while lowering its size, as well as a greater reliance on high-performance mobile hardware and quicker Apple silicon chips. For example, Apple is rumored to be considering a major update to the iPhone 16 microphone to boost the new AI-enhanced Siri experience.

Apple to Unveil Generative AI Tools and LLM-Powered Siri at WWDC

Just last month, Apple AI researchers announced that they had made a significant breakthrough in deploying large language models (LLMs) on iPhones and other Apple devices with limited memory by developing an innovative flash memory use technique, as per MacRumors.

Apple is expected to reveal a series of generative AI-based tools at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, which will also include a peek of iOS 18. Morgan Stanley analysts believe the mobile software will be targeted toward enabling generative AI, with its speech assistant Siri possibly powered by an LLM.

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