Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by tchalla on Thursday January 29, 2026 @05:18PM (#46817575)

> Notably, this is the second time CEO Aviad Maizels has sold a company to Apple. In 2013, he sold PrimeSense, a 3D-sensing company that played a key role in Apple’s transition from fingerprint sensors to facial recognition on iPhones. Q.ai launched in 2022 and is backed by Kleiner Perkins, Gradient Ventures, and others. Its founding team, including Maizels and co-founders Yonatan Wexler and Avi Barliya, will join Apple as part of the acquisition.

Twice, well done!

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by tartoran on Thursday January 29, 2026 @05:44PM (#46817893)

What kind of tech does qAi bring to the table?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by causalmodels on Thursday January 29, 2026 @06:03PM (#46818117)

" As first reported by Reuters, Apple has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup specializing in imaging and machine learning, particularly technologies that enable devices to interpret whispered speech and enhance audio in noisy environments."

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by cyrusradfar on Thursday January 29, 2026 @06:14PM (#46818238)

[puts on tin foil]

you mean something that improves the detection and transcription of voices when the person doesn't realize the mic is on, like when it's in our pocket?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by golbez9 on Thursday January 29, 2026 @08:05PM (#46819313)

that was my first thought, big bump to their ad program

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by llbbdd on Thursday January 29, 2026 @11:48PM (#46820623)

The perfect crime - easily detectable, reputation destroying, barely profitable compared to information people give up willingly. Only Apple could come up with something so clever and so easily defeated, thanks to their boundless evil.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by ectospheno on Thursday January 29, 2026 @11:39PM (#46820573)

I have a child who had an individualized education program due to a disability. I recorded many meetings with an iPhone in my front pocket while sitting. Crystal clear audio every time.

The new tech is likely just for noisy environments and/or to enable whispered voice control of the phone.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by ericmcer on Tuesday February 03, 2026 @12:11PM (#46873779)

This isn't about capturing the audio, it is about transcribing it. Transcribing whispered/garbled speech in the background is really really really hard.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by ectospheno on Wednesday February 04, 2026 @11:50AM (#46888188)

I agree, being able to transcribe low quality audio would be an amazing new feature. What I was disputing was the notion that even an old iPhone is incapable of capturing crystal clear audio from an entire room while in your pocket. It has been able to do that forever.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by mNovak on Thursday January 29, 2026 @06:53PM (#46818662)

Maybe to allow sub-vocalized commands when wearing airpods, for example? I think this was a theme in the later Ender's Game series books.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by Noaidi on Thursday January 29, 2026 @06:16PM (#46818263)

Yeah, so, I am never turning on Apple Intelligence...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up by tanseydavid on Thursday January 29, 2026 @07:05PM (#46818799)

Hope they do not adopt the MS approach to updates with the "shaken" Etch-a-Sketch for your settings on every update.

[ Parent | on HN ]