Apple has acquired DarwinAI, a startup specializing in optimizing AI systems for speed and size

Apple has acquired DarwinAI, a startup specializing in making AI systems smaller and faster. The acquisition will bolster Apple’s AI team with the addition of dozens of DarwinAI employees. DarwinAI’s technology, which includes AI for visually inspecting components during manufacturing, aligns with Apple’s focus on running AI on devices rather than in the cloud. This acquisition comes ahead of Apple’s AI push with iOS 18, which is expected to feature an upgraded version of Siri and new AI features in Messages, iWork, Apple Music, and more. Apple CEO Tim Cook has hinted at groundbreaking developments in generative AI this year.