Apple Unveils AI-Powered Photo Editing Model and Leads in AI Startup Acquisitions

Apple is making headlines once again, not just for its innovative technology but also for its strategic moves in the artificial intelligence sector. The tech titan recently launched an open-source AI model, MLLM-Guided Image Editing (MGIE), developed in collaboration with the University of California, Santa Barbara. This groundbreaking tool allows users to edit images through simple text prompts, encompassing tasks from cropping and resizing to adjusting brightness, color balance, and contrast.

Detailed in a conference paper published this week, MGIE’s technology has shown remarkable improvements in image editing, demonstrating superior performance over existing methods. Its ability to execute Photoshop-style modifications and photo optimizations efficiently positions MGIE as a game-changer in making image editing tools more accessible and user-friendly. While MGIE is not yet broadly available as an official Apple product, enthusiasts can explore its functionalities on GitHub or try a web demo available on Hugging Face.

Apple’s venture into developing MGIE is seen as an effort to keep pace with its competitors like Microsoft, Google, and Meta, who have made significant strides in generative AI and AI-powered chatbots over the past two years. Despite Apple’s relatively low profile in the generative AI landscape, the company is quickly catching up. In 2023, Apple outpaced its rivals by acquiring a record 32 AI startups, surpassing Google’s 21, Meta’s 18, and Microsoft’s 17 acquisitions.

This aggressive acquisition strategy underscores Apple’s commitment to enhancing its AI capabilities and suggests a promising future for its devices and platforms. While details about the deployment of these technologies remain under wraps, the tech community eagerly anticipates the integration of advanced AI features in Apple’s product lineup.

Apple’s approach to acquiring smaller companies for their technology and talent has been a key part of its growth strategy. CEO Tim Cook revealed in 2021 that Apple averages an acquisition every three to four weeks, although the pace appeared to slow in 2022 with just two acquisitions. As Apple continues to expand its AI portfolio, the industry watches closely to see how these advancements will shape the future of technology and user experiences.