Apple buys US start-up for on-device image recognition

Apple has reportedly acquired Xnor.ai, a start-up dedicated to developing artificial intelligence applications such as image recognition that can function without connecting to a server.

Apple and Xnor.ai have not confirmed the acquisition, but Geekwire claims to have heard it from various sources. The site also saw a government document in the state of Delaware from last week indicating a change of ownership. In addition, Geekwire has visited the company and a move is underway, the author says.

Xnor.ai creates applications for artificial intelligence that developers can put into apps. This makes image recognition possible without a connection to servers, for example. Artificial intelligence applications often require an internet connection, including Apple’s own digital assistant Siri, but Apple is interested in running that on the device to ensure user privacy.

It’s unknown whether Apple is interested in Xnor.ai’s technology or the people. The start-up comes from a fund from Microsoft founder Paul Allen to boost artificial intelligence start-ups.