Apple has acquired artificial intelligence for mobile phone’s startup Perceptio.

According to Bloomberg Business, Perceptio specialized in deep learning and relied on pattern-based processing to analyze and categorize input on smartphones.

Founders Nicolas Pinto and Zak Stone have backgrounds in the artificial intelligence field at Harvard and previously researched AI dedicated to building image-recognition systems that use deep learning, which they used to start the company.

Perceptio’s goals are said to have been to develop techniques to run AI image classification systems on smartphones without having to draw on large external repositories of data, fitting with Apple’s strategy of trying to minimize its usage of customer data; current image recognition engines primarily rely on cloud computing, offsite servers, and the Internet for processing, functionality which is great when you have ample bandwidth, but not so great in places and even countries where it’s not available.

According to a report at Apple Insider Pinto and Stone’s work in image processing required an initial dataset, or image stock, from which to work; the process of gathering workable data spawned an offshoot project in GIF mixing app Smoothie, unlike Perceptio’s core technology Smoothie did not employ AI software, nor utilized a machine learning backbone.

Apple did not confirm the acquisition, simply issuing its standard statement that “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”

Acquisitions

The acquisition of Perceptio follows on from Apple’s acquisition of another artificial intelligence startup VocalIQ last week, a company that claimed to have developed a superior voice assistance to Siri, and that of mapping visualization startup Mapsense, Inc. in late September for $25-30 million.

It would be fair to observe that Apple never rests on its laurels when it comes to improving its iOS-based products, even if sometimes it takes them a while to integrate their acquired technologies, as with the staggering two years they took to integrate the transit direction functionality they acquired with HopStop, Inc. way back in 2013 in Apple Maps.

When you might see Perceptio’s improved AI outcomes in a future Apple iPhone isn’t clear, but expect it in a possible iOS update within the next 12-18 months.

The price of the acquisition was not disclosed.

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