iStockIn 2016, Seattle-based startup Turi Inc. was helping almost 100 customers create and manage software that uses machine learning, a powerful type of artificial intelligence.

Last year saw a record 231 acquisitions of AI startups, up from 42 in 2014, according to data from CB Insights.

Giants such as Google and Facebook have massive data sets that are crucial for training AI models, for instance.“It's easy to get funding for an AI startup, or at least it was.

“Startups don't typically have that much cash,” so the Apple sale was a good outcome for Turi, she added.One new reason AI startups look to be acquired by a big patron is the cost of computing power.

As AI models get more complex, startups are paying a lot for cloud computing services to train and run those models. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1584419506.2882693/Big-tech-swallows-most-of-the-hot-AI-startups?ref=audio_experience