Google is aggressively trying to make smartphones more responsive to human needs, and it looks like Apple is joining the push.

The jump in artificial intelligence specialists may not be as many employees as Reuters makes it sound.

But Google and others have an edge in spotting larger trends, meaning Apple’s predictions may not be as good, said Gonzalez, echoing a commonly held view among machine learning experts. But with Apple quadrupling its machine learning staff in the past three years according to one former employee, it seems that it will be looking for more unique ways to analyse data and give users what they want, without breaching their privacy.

If Apple succeeds without compromising privacy, its Mountain View rival may face questions about its approach to analyzing users’ data.

Machine learning requires lots and lots of user data to figure out what a user can possibly say.

In addition to the expected launches of the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and iPad Pro, as well as a revamped Apple TV, the company will be unveiling the final version of iOS 9 at its big event September 9, .

Reports suggest, that while ramping up iOS and iPhone’s AI tech is obviously the motive, the hiring is also a part of Apple’s larger intentions of taking on Google in a field, which has been largely dominated by the latter on both smartphones, and their software front. The company is also hiring machine learning experts for divisions such as product marketing and retail, suggesting a broad-based effort to capitalise on data. That means that machine learning will likely also be used to better target customers.

Apple does not reveal the number of people working on its machine learning efforts.

Though some AI graduates reportedly shy away from Apple as they want as much data as possible to play with, John Duchi, an assistant professor at Stanford University, says that others are likely to relish the challenge of combining intelligence with a high degree of privacy.