Apple buys artificial intelligence startup Emotient
Apple Inc. has purchased Emotient Inc., a startup that uses artificial-intelligence technology to read people’s emotions by analyzing facial expressions.
The report did not specify the financial terms of the deal.
The tech giant’s plans for Emotient were not immediately clear, the Journal reported, confirming the news with an Apple spokeswoman.
Emotient’s software reads the expressions of individuals and crowds to gain insights that can be used by advertisers to assess viewer reaction or a medical practitioner to better understand signs of pain in patients.
San Diego-based Emotient had previously raised $8 million from investors including Intel Capital, the Journal said.
Last month, Tesla Motors Chief Executive Elon Musk and other prominent tech executives announced $1bn in funding for an artificial intelligence non-profit called OpenAI.
Apple and Emotient did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Emotient is the leader in emotion detection and sentiment analysis, part of a neuromarketing wave that is driving a quantum leap in customer understanding.
Apple Inc., founded in 1976, is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. The company has 453 Apple retail stores in 16 countries and employs 115,000 people worldwide.
