Apple hires 36 ex-Google experts to set up its secret AI lab in Zurich- Key things to know

Apple establishes a secretive AI lab in Zurich, recruiting 36 former Google experts for advanced AI development. Here's what you should know about.

Apple's secretive AI lab in Zurich recruits ex-Google experts for advanced AI development. (REUTERS)

Apple has assembled a team of AI specialists from Google to establish a clandestine research hub in Zurich, as reported by the Financial Times. This covert European facility is dedicated to the development of advanced AI models and products. Analysis of LinkedIn profiles indicates that Apple has recruited 36 professionals from Google since 2018, coinciding with the appointment of John Giannandrea, formerly of Google, as Apple's top AI executive.

While Apple's primary AI operations are based in California and Seattle, the company has expanded its footprint with new offices in Zurich, Switzerland, focusing on AI research. Recent acquisitions of AI startups FaceShift (VR) and Fashwall (image recognition) likely influenced Apple's decision to establish the secretive "Vision Lab" in the city.

Focus on Advanced Research

Reports suggest that the lab's staff are engaged in research related to the foundational technology behind OpenAI's AI chatbot ChatGPT and similar projects utilising Large Language Models (LLMs). Apple aims to develop advanced AI models capable of processing both textual and visual inputs to generate outputs.

Former Google Experts Leading the Charge

Among Apple's AI team are several former Google employees, including Giannandrea, who previously headed Google Brain and is now part of DeepMind. Yoshua Bengio, formerly a leading AI scientist at Google, now serves as senior director of AI and ML research at Apple. Ruoming Pang, former head of AI speech recognition research at Google, currently leads Apple's "Foundation Models" team, focusing on large language models.

Apple's AI Strategy

Apple has been somewhat tardy in its AI endeavours compared to major rivals such as Google, Samsung, and Microsoft, reportedly due to a cautious approach. According to Ruslan Salakhutdinov of Carnegie Mellon University, Apple's delayed entry into the AI arena stems from a desire for complete control over its products. Salakhutdinov, founder of Perpetual Machines, acquired by Apple in 2016 for its work on generative AI-powered image detection, studied under Geoffrey Hinton, a prominent figure in the field who departed Google last year, citing concerns about the risks associated with generative AI.

It's anticipated that Apple will introduce AI-powered features in its forthcoming iOS 18 update for the first time. These generative AI capabilities are expected to enhance Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts, Apple Music, Messages, Health, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, and other applications, reportedly leveraging on-device LLMs.