Apple Acquires Q.ai
Richard Lawler (MacRumors, Hacker News, Slashdot):
Apple’s biggest acquisition ever is still its $3 billion Beats buy in 2014, but now the second biggest deal is bringing in Q.ai, a four-year-old AI audio startup. Apple did not disclose the terms, but Financial Times reports that Apple is spending $2 billion on the company. It also mentioned Q.ai patents for optical sensor technology that could be built into headphones or glasses to recognize “facial skin micro movements,” allowing for non-verbal discussions with an AI assistant, for example.
The founders of Q.ai will join Apple, including CEO Aviad Maizels, who founded PrimeSense. Apple bought that company in 2013 and repurposed its Xbox Kinect technology to power the iPhone’s FaceID setup. This time around, tech that understands whispered speech could connect to the generative AI-upgraded Siri or other Apple Intelligence features, and work with future AirPods, Vision Pro, iPhone, or Mac devices.
Israeli technology site Geektime dug into patent details to uncover Q.ai’s work. Here’s the translation:
According to its patent applications, the company appears to be working on reading what is being said, not using voice, but by using optical sensors that detect muscle and skin movements in the face, to translate them into words or commands. Some of the patents indicate the use of a headset that also examines the user’s cheek and jaw, and will apparently allow you to talk to Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, using only lip movements.
[…]
I’m often around other people, whether that’s my family at home or random strangers out on the street or at a coffee shop where I’m working.
As a result, I always type in my AI requests. But using the iOS system keyboard can feel a bit clunky at times and slow me down. It would be so much quicker and easier to just speak my queries, were it not for the social hangup.
Overall, this feels more like a traditional Apple acquisition: a smaller company, more targeted in its use case, with talented staff that it can bring onboard.
Previously:
- Apple Acquires Mayday Labs
- Apple Acquires Pixelmator
- Apple Acquires Primephonic
- Apple Buys Dark Sky
- Apple to Acquire Intel’s Modem Business
- Why Did Apple Spend $400M to Acquire Shazam?
- Apple Acquires Buddybuild
- Apple Acquires Workflow
