A report from The Financial Times claims that Apple has acquired VocalIQ, a U.K. based startup known for making artificial intelligence software for processing natural language.
Other details about this acquisition remain unknown for now, but it is likely that Apple will take advantage of VocalIQ’s technology to further improve Siri.
Apple made the same comment about this acquisition that it has made previously on similar occasions.
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Apple has made Siri smarter and more useful in iOS 9, but it still lags behind Google Now, its chief competitor. However, VocalIQ’s acquisition might just give Apple the edge it need to surpass Google’s offering.
VocalIQ’s mentions on its website that their software analyses previous conversations to further improve voice recognition and better understand future requests. The startup says that its “self-learning” technology allows “real conversation between human and the internet of things.”
Ironically, in one of their blog posts, VocalIQ called out Siri as a mere “toy” and that all the existing voice assistants in the market have been well below the consumer expectations. Besides Siri, it is also likely that Apple will take advantage of VocalIQ’s software for its upcoming car, which is rumored to be launched in 2019.
[Via Financial Times]
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