Apple acquires face-reading AI startup for 2 trillion won

New York, The Financial News – Lee Byung-chulApple Inc. has acquired an Israeli startup with technology that interprets a user’s intent through subtle facial muscle signals, marking its full-scale entry into the AI wearables race.
Financial Times (FT) and Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) reported on the 29th (local time) that Apple Inc. bought Q.ai, a startup that developed technology to analyze facial expressions and convey intent without spoken words. The deal is valued at about $2 billion, making it one of the largest acquisitions in Apple Inc.’s history.
Q.ai’s core technology detects "ultra-micro movements" of the facial skin to interpret a user’s intent. According to patent documents, the technology is designed to be embedded in headphones or smart glasses so users can converse with AI without opening their mouths.
This means users could hold private AI conversations even in public spaces. Experts say Apple Inc. is preparing for an era of "nonverbal interfaces," moving beyond voice-centered AI interaction.
Johny Srouji, Apple Inc.’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, described Q.ai as "a pioneering company that creatively combines imaging and machine learning."
The acquisition is closely tied to intensifying competition in Silicon Valley over the AI wearables market. Meta Platforms Inc. has already tested consumer response with its Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses, while Google LLC and Snap Inc. are preparing to launch AI glasses within the year. OpenAI is also reported to be developing a portable device dedicated to ChatGPT after acquiring a startup founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive.
Q.ai was founded in Tel Aviv in 2022, and some of its founders previously worked at PrimeSense, an Israeli 3D sensing company that Apple Inc. acquired in the past. PrimeSense’s technology later became a core foundation of the iPhone’s Face ID.




pride@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Byung-chul Reporter