Apple on Thursday confirmed acquiring the Israeli startup Q.ai, in what appeared to be part of the tech giant’s efforts to make inroads into the wearables market, with the aid of artificial intelligence.
The purchase cost Apple almost $2 billion, people familiar with the terms told the Financial Times. Industry press said it was the second-largest acquisition in the company’s history, after its purchase of the Beats music giant in 2014.
Q.ai is tight-lipped in public about its technology, but patents it filed show tech being used in headphones or glasses using “facial skin micro movements” for nonverbal communication, according to the FT.
The move may be a component of Apple’s strategy for “wearable” products, such as smart glasses. Software that reads facial expressions could potentially make way for a hands-free user interface that doesn’t require talking out loud, reports noted.
Software that reads facial expressions could potentially make way for a hands-free user interface that doesn’t require talking out loud, reports noted.
That’s not what it will be used for, and they damn well know it. Whenever tech companies come up with new applications, always think of the most evil thing it could be used for. And it is ALWAYS about propaganda, surveillance and control.
This tech will be by authoritarians to scan faces in crowds, especially when those regimes give speeches. Looking for signs of ThoughtCrime: anger, incredulity, amusement, etc. Because if you show ANY of those signs, you’ll be added to the regime’s “list” even if you never carry a protest sign or say a single word.