Apple has acquired a start-up that uses artificial intelligence software to analyse emotions from facial expressions, the latest in a string of acquisitions that may point to a push into virtual or "augmented" reality or enhance its automotive research.
San Diego-based Emotient was founded in 2012 and has already been awarded patents covering how it uses crowdsourcing to "train" its machine-learning technology for sentiment analysis and – crucially for the privacy-conscious Apple – a way to understand facial expressions without storing recognisable images of individuals’ faces.
AI has become a huge new focus for Silicon Valley companies lately. Earlier last week, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said he planned to build an AI-based virtual assistant akin to Jarvis in the Iron Man movies and comics.
(Source: CNBC)