Image created using Midjourney with this prompt: Tim Cook dressed as a Star Wars Sith character holding an iPhone and a lightsaber. Aspect ratio: 1920×1080.

Apple’s (AAPL) acquisition of DarwinAI, a Canadian AI startup, telegraphs a strategy ahead of the company’s major generative AI updates slated for iOS 18. Apple won’t comment, but we can pretty easily speculate about the value of DarwinAI’s optical recognition technology to our friends in Cupertino. This acquisition should not only enhance Apple’s AI portfolio but also support its shift toward incorporating AI more deeply into its devices and software – which, Tim Cook said, is a priority.

If the rumors are correct, iOS 18 will be a landmark update for Apple, with a significant focus on generative AI. This update is expected to introduce a suite of new AI features across Apple’s platforms. The rumored features include enhanced Siri; AI-powered Apple Music playlists; AI integration into Pages, Keynote, and Numbers (does anyone use these?); GenAI in Spotlight Search; and some AI-driven wellness coaching.

To be fair, Apple already uses a ton of AI across its product portfolio. (The amount of AI driving the iPhone’s computational photography may be the most obvious example: Portrait mode, Cinematic video, single-press silhouetting subjects, etc.) As for the acquisition, great AI engineers are extremely hard to find, so it’s easy to understand. What will Apple create with this new braintrust? “Hey Siri – when will you be as good at ChatGPT?”

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