Apple announced on Thursday that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup specializing in artificial intelligence technologies for audio processing.
The Q.ai founding team, including CEO Aviad Maizels, will join Apple. Maizels previously founded PrimeSense, a three-dimensional sensing company that Apple acquired in 2013. That deal played a key role in shifting Apple from fingerprint sensors (Touch ID) on iPhones to facial recognition technology (Face ID).
Reuters:
Apple did not disclose terms of the deal or what Q.ai’s technology will be used for, but said the startup has worked on new applications of machine learning to help devices understand whispered speech and to enhance audio in challenging environments. In a statement, Maizels said “joining Apple opens extraordinary possibilities for pushing boundaries and realizing the full potential of what we’ve created, and we’re thrilled to bring these experiences to people everywhere.”
Q.ai “is a remarkable company that is pioneering new and creative ways to use imaging and machine learning,” Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to acquire the company, with Aviad at the helm, and are even more excited for what’s to come.”
Q.ai co-founders Yonatan Wexler and Avi Barliya will also join Apple, the companies said.
MacDailyNews Take: For iPhones, iPads, Macs, AirPods, HomePods and anything to come (smart glasses) with microphones!
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