Apple buys AI company Perceptio
The company has been working on an image recognition system that uses deep learning. For those that aren't in the know, deep learning is an artificial intelligence system where computers are capable of identifying and classifying sensory input. In other words, Apple could take Perceptio's work and make an iPhone that's capable of learning and responding based on what it sees and hears.
Since Perceptio's technology is designed to do most of its heaving lifting on your smartphone, Apple can use it to help keep more of our data private. Where Google Now, for example, is sifting through our data on its own servers, Perceptio's tech could let our iPhones do much of that locally. Along with helping keep our data private, it also cuts down data usage over cellular connections because less information is being sent off to servers.
This isn't Apple's only recent AI-related purchase. The company also bought Vocal IQ, which specializes in natural language technology that can be used to make Siri more human-like. The tech lets systems learn when we're talking, so interaction is much more like an actual conversation.
Combining Vocal IQ's technology with Perceptio's could help Apple create a much smarter iPhone that's more like a literal personal assistant. That sounds a lot like sci-fi tech, and also amazingly cool.
Apple isn't talking about its plans for Perceptio, but did confirm the purchase to Bloomberg.