Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up
TechCrunch • • technology
Key Points:
- Apple has acquired Israeli AI startup Q.ai, specializing in imaging and machine learning technologies that improve audio interpretation, particularly whispered speech and noisy environments, to enhance its hardware offerings.
- The acquisition, valued at nearly $2 billion, is Apple's second-largest purchase after Beats Electronics and aims to bolster AI features in products like AirPods and the Vision Pro headset.
- Q.ai's technology includes detecting subtle facial muscle activity, which could contribute to advancements in Apple's Vision Pro headset.
- CEO Aviad Maizels, who previously sold PrimeSense to Apple in 2013, will join Apple along with Q.ai's founding team as part of the deal.
- Founded in 2022 and backed by investors such as Kleiner Perkins and
