Apple Has Secret 'Vision Lab' in Zurich That is Focused on AI [Report]

Apple has poached dozens of AI experts from Google and has opened a secretive 'Vision Lab' in Zurich that is focused on AI, according to new report from the Financial Times.

The site analyzed hundreds of LinkedIn profiles, public job postings, and research papers to determine the scope of Apple's global AI and machine learning hiring spree. It found that Apple targeted workers from Google, hiring at least 36 specialists away from the company since poaching John Giannandrea in 2018.

Although most of Apple's AI team works from offices in California and Seattle, the company has expanded to Zurich following the acquisition of two local AI startups. According to Professor Luc Van Gool from Swiss university ETH Zurich, Apple acquired virtual reality group FaceShift and image recognition company Fashwell. These employees now work at an Apple research laboratory in the city, dubbed 'Vision Lab.' Their work is purportedly focused on the underlying technology that powers products like the OpenAi ChatGPT chatbot.


Notably, the Financial Times discovered that Apple has been advertising jobs in generative AI across two locations in Zurich, one of which has a very low profile.

Apple is expected to offer the first glimpse at its foray into generative AI during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. It's rumored to be working on several AI features that would run on-device, while considering a partnership with Google or OpenAI for a chatbot feature.

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