5 ms·

Apple reportedly buys AI startup with privacy-conscious approach

107 points by evo_9 8y ago

prepend 8y ago
I think Edge AI where nothing is passed to the cloud is going to be a big area. Currently Apple is the only one of the fangm whose business model allows this. Probably the only huge growth area for apple-style margins (ie, $17/month for a local ai to train with you as its learning set with complete, auditable privacy).
- bhauer 8y ago
  Arguably, Microsoft could do this as well without cannibalizing too much business. It's truly a shame they aren't doing it.
  - giancarlostoro 8y ago
    I wish they'd stop trying to use Microsoft Windows as an ad platform for all their other products and focus instead on making their existing OS better. If you want to advertise all your Microsoft products, here's a crazy and wild idea, do it on the App store for Windows. Stop making duplicated services too, we got Microsoft Teams which I don't mind, it seems really good, but what about Skype and MSN?
  - prepend 8y ago
    Sort of, but they seem to be selling user data trying to catch up with Google. I don’t think there’s much revenue in it according to their 10Q, but all their releases send stuff to the cloud (Xbox, Cortana, windows10, etc) for things that don’t need to.
- jammygit 8y ago
  iirc, mozilla is doing this for targeted advertising in Pocket: they use client-side code to decide what to show.
  - orhmeh09 8y ago
    Their web speech api is also focused on local processing, unlike Chrome, which uploads audio to a remote server for processing (afaik).
gravity_123 8y ago
Privacy is a double edged sword and apple has taken the other side of it compared to most other companies. Doing good ai while being privacy conscious is not easy, huge props to them and hope they succeed.
- satysin 8y ago
  > Doing good ai while being privacy conscious is not easy Is this fact or do we just think this because the only companies who have put resources into AI are companies that doesn't give a shit about your privacy (because they use it for their other products)?
  - soared 8y ago
    This seems fairly obvious - good ai can do things like predict what you want, understand your speech, understand your intent, etc. All this requires tons of personal data. And any amount of personal data can be difficult to keep secure/used ethically/etc.
    - satysin 8y ago
      Keep secure sure (although the same is true of all personal data not just that related to AI) but ethical use is not a computer science problem.
      - soared 8y ago
        Making it even more difficult :)
      - deminature 8y ago
        Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but anonymization while still having the data be useful for deep learning seems computer science-related.
    - nihonde 8y ago
      It’s possible to personalize experiences without storing information that leads to a personal identification. I’m not saying it’s easy to walk that line, but it is possible.
sudovancity 8y ago
This seems pretty cool, I do like that on the surface at least, Apple seems to care a little about privacy.
- mxstbr 8y ago
  Out of FANG, it seems like Apple is only one that really cares! See https://www.fastcompany.com/90236195/forget-the-new-iphones-apples-best-product-is-now-privacy https://www.fastcompany.com/90236195/forget-the-new-iphones-...
  - mcintyre1994 8y ago
    Not that I'm convinced they fit in FAANG, but do Netflix have a particularly bad privacy record? I know they do lots of tracking and magic to make recommendations but I'm not sure they even have any concerning data to play fast and loose with privacy wise?
    - bitwize 8y ago
      Netflix probably provides data to Rentrak just like every other movie provider.
    - jammygit 8y ago
      Its getting slowly more popular to personality profile people based on their behaviour. It might be tempting for Netflix to sell their viewing data for such a purpose one day if somebody decides they want to buy it for that.
    - earenndil 8y ago
      > Not that I'm convinced they fit in FAANG Originally, FAANG referred to companies with huge growth. Now, the meaning has completely morphed.
  - tguedes 8y ago
    While I like Apple and that they are taken a stance for privacy, a serious conversation needs to happen about if privacy is a human right or a luxury good. Because the way it's going, only the people who can afford to will be able to pay for privacy.
segmondy 8y ago
It will be interesting to see how their technology is used. Here are some examples https://www.silklabs.com/ https://www.silklabs.com/ Instantly search cameras at a shopping mall to find your missing child Recognize who’s coming home without training on specific faces Know where people are spending their time in a retail store Save power and storage by only recording when a person is seen Count the vehicles that have entered a parking lot Know when people are yelling to be alerted of commotion

107 points by evo_9 8y ago

I think Edge AI where nothing is passed to the cloud is going to be a big area. Currently Apple is the only one of the fangm whose business model allows this. Probably the only huge growth area for apple-style margins (ie, $17/month for a local ai to train with you as its learning set with complete, auditable privacy).

bhauer 8y ago
Arguably, Microsoft could do this as well without cannibalizing too much business. It's truly a shame they aren't doing it.
- giancarlostoro 8y ago
  I wish they'd stop trying to use Microsoft Windows as an ad platform for all their other products and focus instead on making their existing OS better. If you want to advertise all your Microsoft products, here's a crazy and wild idea, do it on the App store for Windows. Stop making duplicated services too, we got Microsoft Teams which I don't mind, it seems really good, but what about Skype and MSN?
- prepend 8y ago
  Sort of, but they seem to be selling user data trying to catch up with Google. I don’t think there’s much revenue in it according to their 10Q, but all their releases send stuff to the cloud (Xbox, Cortana, windows10, etc) for things that don’t need to.
jammygit 8y ago
iirc, mozilla is doing this for targeted advertising in Pocket: they use client-side code to decide what to show.
- orhmeh09 8y ago
  Their web speech api is also focused on local processing, unlike Chrome, which uploads audio to a remote server for processing (afaik).

gravity_123 8y ago

Privacy is a double edged sword and apple has taken the other side of it compared to most other companies. Doing good ai while being privacy conscious is not easy, huge props to them and hope they succeed.

satysin 8y ago
> Doing good ai while being privacy conscious is not easy Is this fact or do we just think this because the only companies who have put resources into AI are companies that doesn't give a shit about your privacy (because they use it for their other products)?
- soared 8y ago
  This seems fairly obvious - good ai can do things like predict what you want, understand your speech, understand your intent, etc. All this requires tons of personal data. And any amount of personal data can be difficult to keep secure/used ethically/etc.
  - satysin 8y ago
    Keep secure sure (although the same is true of all personal data not just that related to AI) but ethical use is not a computer science problem.
    - soared 8y ago
      Making it even more difficult :)
    - deminature 8y ago
      Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but anonymization while still having the data be useful for deep learning seems computer science-related.
  - nihonde 8y ago
    It’s possible to personalize experiences without storing information that leads to a personal identification. I’m not saying it’s easy to walk that line, but it is possible.

sudovancity 8y ago

This seems pretty cool, I do like that on the surface at least, Apple seems to care a little about privacy.

mxstbr 8y ago
Out of FANG, it seems like Apple is only one that really cares! See https://www.fastcompany.com/90236195/forget-the-new-iphones-apples-best-product-is-now-privacy https://www.fastcompany.com/90236195/forget-the-new-iphones-...
- mcintyre1994 8y ago
  Not that I'm convinced they fit in FAANG, but do Netflix have a particularly bad privacy record? I know they do lots of tracking and magic to make recommendations but I'm not sure they even have any concerning data to play fast and loose with privacy wise?
  - bitwize 8y ago
    Netflix probably provides data to Rentrak just like every other movie provider.
  - jammygit 8y ago
    Its getting slowly more popular to personality profile people based on their behaviour. It might be tempting for Netflix to sell their viewing data for such a purpose one day if somebody decides they want to buy it for that.
  - earenndil 8y ago
    > Not that I'm convinced they fit in FAANG Originally, FAANG referred to companies with huge growth. Now, the meaning has completely morphed.
- tguedes 8y ago
  While I like Apple and that they are taken a stance for privacy, a serious conversation needs to happen about if privacy is a human right or a luxury good. Because the way it's going, only the people who can afford to will be able to pay for privacy.

segmondy 8y ago

It will be interesting to see how their technology is used. Here are some examples https://www.silklabs.com/ https://www.silklabs.com/ Instantly search cameras at a shopping mall to find your missing child Recognize who’s coming home without training on specific faces Know where people are spending their time in a retail store Save power and storage by only recording when a person is seen Count the vehicles that have entered a parking lot Know when people are yelling to be alerted of commotion