Key Highlights:

• Apple has reportedly acquired Israeli AI startup Q.ai for ~$2 billion.
  
• Future AirPods could enable silent, lip-based interaction.
  
• The move signals Apple’s deeper push into AI-powered wearable interfaces.
  

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Apple is reportedly exploring a future where users can interact with devices without speaking. According to reports from Financial Times and Reuters, the company has acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for approximately $2 billion, its largest deal since acquiring Beats Electronics.

Q.ai specializes in machine learning systems that analyze micro-movements in facial skin, lip motions, and subtle muscle activity. The technology can detect silently mouthed words, emotional expressions, and even physiological indicators like heart rate and breathing patterns.

Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously predicted camera-enabled AirPods could launch in 2026, potentially featuring infrared sensors similar to Face ID’s depth-mapping system. Combined with Q.ai’s algorithms, such hardware could allow users to send messages, activate Siri, or control music without saying a word.

The technology may also extend beyond earbuds to devices like Apple Vision Pro and future smart glasses. Q.ai’s founder, Aviad Maizels, previously co-founded PrimeSense, whose 3D sensing technology later evolved into Apple’s Face ID system.

If implemented, silent facial input could mark a shift from voice commands to discreet, sensor-based interaction, reshaping how users engage with wearable AI while raising new privacy questions.

Privacy Questions:

Silent facial tracking raises significant privacy considerations. Continuous monitoring of lip and muscle movements could generate highly sensitive biometric data. If stored improperly, such data might reveal emotional states, health indicators, or private communications. There are also concerns about potential misuse, including unauthorized tracking or remote intent detection.

If implemented, silent facial input could redefine human-computer interaction, while intensifying the debate over how much data wearable devices should be allowed to observe.

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The post Say Goodbye to “Hey Siri”: Apple’s Silent AI Is Coming, And It Can Read Your Lips appeared first on Gizmochina.