Apple’s First Acquisition This Year Is Emotient

This year, Apple has decided to further expand its reach in the artificial intelligence segment by purchasing a San Diego startup named Emotient. Even though we don’t know how much Apple has paid for the acquisition, we do know that the targeted company specializes in impressive AI technologies that can be used to determine an individual’s emotions by analyzing his or her facial expressions. The tech was quite popular with advertisers and marketers who used it to analyze consumers’ reactions to certain products and commercials. However, doctors have also shown interest in Emotient’s AI, as it allowed them to measure pain levels in patients who couldn’t express themselves in a normal fashion.

The software went through a series of testing sessions using Google Glass, but it’s not exactly clear what Apple plans to do with it. Moreover, it looks like the Cupertino-based company has no plans to tell us why it purchased Emotient anytime soon, as its representatives have issued the following statement after the acquisition: ” [Apple] buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.” Apple has purchased several other AI developers in the last twelve months, including VocallQ, Faceshift, and Perceptio.

Whatever the company is planning to do with these assets, it’s probably going to be something big.