According to a recent report released by Reuters, Apple is stepping up its hiring process for AI staff and machine learning staff to compete with Google.

According to data available, the Cupertino-based Company is currently in the process of hiring about 86 employees in the Artificial Intelligence department. Apple is stepping up its hiring process for AI staff with the aim to offer substantial competition to the search engine giant in the field, which it has dominated for years. Google offers features in Android smartphones, which provide relevant information to users even before they request for it.

Apple is stepping up its hiring process for AI staff and Oren Etzioni, CEO of Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence said regarding it:

“In the past, Apple has not been at the vanguard of machine learning and cutting edge artificial intelligence work, but that is rapidly changing. They are after the best and the brightest, just like everybody else.”

Reports suggest that the Cupertino-based Company will face a lot of challenges with machine learning because of its primary focus on the privacy of users. For instance, Apple has added the Proactive features to iOS 9, but all the data and analysis will be saved on the user’s phone. It will definitely enhance the privacy of users, but the data collected from it has great potential of learning the behavior of a user and much more.

This can be the possible reason for ramping up its hiring process:

Apple is stepping up its hiring process for AI staff, but it has not disclosed any officially reason behind it. It has been surmised that increased efforts by the Cupertino-based Company indicates that it is planning to augment the built-in capabilities of iOS to deliver an enhanced product.