© Reuters. Apple (AAPL) acquires Canadian AI startup – Bloomberg

According to a report by Bloomberg on Thursday, Canadian artificial intelligence startup DarwinAI has been acquired by Apple (NASDAQ:).

The tech giant is said to have purchased the company as part of its race to add technology to its arsenal ahead of a significant push into generative AI in 2024.

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said the iPhone maker bought DarwinAI earlier this year, with dozens of the company’s employees joining Apple’s artificial intelligence division.

DarwinAI creates AI technology to visually inspect manufacturing components, serving customers across industries. In addition, one of the core technologies of the company is to make AI systems faster and smaller. This work could assist Apple, which is focused on utilizing AI on devices rather than solely in the cloud.

Alexander Wong, who helped build the business and is also an AI researcher at the University of Waterloo, joined Apple as a director in its AI division as part of the deal.

Bloomberg said that when asked about the deal, Apple said it “buys smaller technology companies from time to time” but doesn’t discuss its plans.