A Crack in Apple’s Great Wall Of Secrecy

One of the themes of this blog is that Apple succeeds in spite of their dedication to secrecy, not because of it. The benefits provided by splashy announcements of “secret” new devices like iPhones are more than outweighed by the costs of preventing brilliant, creative people from sharing and vetting their ideas with the broader community. Well AI is causing a crack in the wall. The AI community, including its academic component, is so commited to openness and transparency that Apple is having a hard time recruiting top people. Today’s Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is considering a more open policy for AI research. I see this as a big plus for Apple, not a risk.