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Apple<\/a> Inc. has acquired Canadian artificial intelligence startup DarwinAI, adding technology to its arsenal ahead of a big push into generative AI in 2024.<\/p>\n The iPhone maker purchased the business earlier this year, and dozens of DarwinAI\u2019s employees have joined Apple\u2019s artificial intelligence division, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the deal hasn\u2019t been announced.\u00a0<\/p>\n DarwinAI has developed AI technology for visually inspecting components during the manufacturing process and serves customers in a range of industries. But one of its core technologies is making artificial intelligence systems\u00a0smaller and faster<\/a>. That work that could be helpful to Apple, which is focused on running AI on devices rather than entirely in the cloud.<\/p>\n Alexander Wong, an AI researcher at the University of Waterloo who helped build the business, has joined Apple as a director in its AI group as part of the deal.<\/p>\n In response to questions about the deal, Cupertino, California-based Apple said it \u201cbuys smaller technology companies from time to time\u201d but doesn\u2019t discuss its plans. \u00a0<\/p>\n Waterloo, Ontario-based DarwinAI\u00a0had raised<\/a>\u00a0more than $15 million as of 2022, according to the Canadian startup community Communitech. It received investments from Honeywell<\/a> Ventures and Inovia Capital, among other venture capital firms. The startup also has worked with companies like Lockheed Martin<\/a> Corp. and Intel<\/a> Corp., according to Communitech.\u00a0<\/p>\n The under-the-radar acquisition comes ahead of a big AI push for Apple this year. The company is adding features to its iOS 18 software that rely on generative AI, the technology behind ChatGPT and other groundbreaking tools. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook\u00a0has promised<\/a>\u00a0that Apple will \u201cbreak new ground\u201d in AI this year, and an announcement is expected as soon as the company\u2019s worldwide developers conference in June.<\/p>\n Despite having acquired more AI companies than most rivals over the past decade, Apple has fallen behind in the generative AI market. It was caught flat-footed by the launch of OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT in 2022, and tech peers like Google<\/a> and Microsoft<\/a> Corp. have stolen the spotlight with new features.<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0Apple Readies AI Tool to Rival Microsoft\u2019s GitHub Copilot<\/a><\/p>\n Internally, Apple has started integrating generative AI into its operations, using the technology to assist with customer service requests. It\u2019s also planning to add features to its software for auto-creating presentations and completing blocks of texts. And Apple is working on a new version of its Xcode programming software that uses AI to help developers write code.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nSubscribe to the CFO Daily newsletter to keep up with the trends, issues, and executives shaping corporate finance. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n