Apple has a secret AI team that’s working on upcoming major features for your iPhone
This secret AI team is located in Zurich and is working on new models and features that you can expect soon
You’ve probably heard that Apple is working on huge new AI features that’ll head to the latest iPhone. But where are they? While we don’t expect to see them arrive until the WWDC 2024 developers conference in June, Apple is already hard at work on developing these features and the models behind them. In fact, there’s a whole secret team working on these major new iPhone features.
The Financial Times reports that Apple has hired a hefty team of 36 AI experts from Google. Their mission? To propel Apple’s AI tech to new heights, or perhaps, given their track record with Siri, to at least reach the base camp of Mount Everest. Since John Giannandrea, a former Google hotshot, jumped ship to Apple in 2018, the Cupertino company has been on a hiring spree that would make a Silicon Valley recruiter blush.
Most of these AI experts on the team are part of the secret “Vision Lab” team in Zurich. It’s a powerhouse for developing AI that might finally let Siri understand more than just the simplest of commands. Apple’s got its fingers in a few AI pies (from face-shifting VR tech to cutting-edge image recognition) thanks to snapping up startups like FaceShift and Fashwell.
But the juiciest bit? The tech giant is diving deep into the same tech that gave the world ChatGPT. Apple is working on its own large language models, that will operate without relying on third-parties. This will power all the major new AI features you can expect to land on your iPhone. And if Apple does revamp Siri with new AI powers as everyone expects, this model will power the smarts behind it. Stay tuned for June, when Apple makes its AI debut.
Connor Jewiss
