Apple buys machine-learning startup Turi for 200 million USD

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. AppleInc.,stepping up its involvement in one of Silicon Valley’s hottest arenas, is acquiring machine-learning specialist Turi Inc, WSJ reported.

Financial terms couldn’t immediately be determined. GeekWire, which reported the acquisition Friday, said Apple is paying around $200 million.

An Apple spokesman issued the company’s standard statement in connection with such transactions: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”

Turi’s chief executive isCarlos Guestrin,who holds the title of Amazon professor of machine learning at the University of Washington—a position endowed byAmazon.comInc.Chief ExecutiveJeff Bezos.He is also an associate professor of computer science and engineering.

Seattle-based Turi, which recently changed its name from Dato, offers a software platform to let other companies create machine-learning applications.

The term refers to techniques for creating software in which computers effectively teach themselves by making inferences from data without explicit programming instructions. Companies like Google parentAlphabetInc.,FacebookInc.and others have extensively used the technique for speeding up searches, classifying images and other purposes.

Apple has used machine learning for applications such as Siri, the speech-recognition engine on its iPhones. Chief ExecutiveTim Cook in Apple’s most recent earnings conference call described other ways the company is using the technology.

“Machine learning is improving facial and image recognition in photos, predicting word choice while typing in messages and mail, and providing context awareness in maps for better directions,” he said.

Turi representatives couldn’t be reached for comment.