Apple buys secretive audio AI startup Q.ai
Apple has acquired Q.ai, a little‑known Israeli startup focused on audio-focused artificial intelligence, in a deal reportedly worth about $2 billion. That price tag would make Q.ai Apple’s second-largest purchase after Beats.
Q.ai develops machine learning tools that help devices pick up and interpret hard-to-hear speech, like whispers, and improve audio quality in noisy conditions. In a patent filing last year, the company described using tiny movements in facial skin to detect spoken or mouthed words, identify who is speaking, and gauge their emotional state. Apple has not detailed how it will use the technology, but the deal fits its push to deepen on-device AI capabilities, especially around voice and sound.
More from Technology
TL;DR: Space Compass signed a memorandum of understanding with Apolink and JSAT International to explore optical data relay links between geosynchrono...
TL;DR: GNSS satellites provide positioning and timing used by smartphones, cars, and critical infrastructure. RCR Wireless News reported on April 10,...
TL;DR: Bangladesh Submarine Cables warned that internet services in Bangladesh may slow down or face disruptions until Monday. The disruption is linke...
TL;DR: Cisco detailed optical networking updates aimed at AI networking infrastructure, according to a Light Reading report. The report says Cisco foc...
TL;DR: Instagram now lets users edit comments after posting. 9to5Mac reported the change on April 9, 2026. The source excerpt did not specify the edit...
TL;DR: 404 Media reported on April 9, 2026 that the FBI recovered deleted Signal messages from an iPhone's notification database. The report said the...