From identity verification to intent perception: Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) makes another move in Israel's "secret map," acquiring Q.ai for $2 billion to build a hardware AI moat.

Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) has successfully acquired Israeli artificial intelligence startup Q.ai, which focuses on developing facial motion recognition technology and silent communication parsing systems. Apple Inc. did not disclose the amount of the transaction on Thursday, but reports suggest that the acquisition price was as high as $2 billion, marking one of the few major acquisitions by the iPhone maker in recent years. The low-key company was co-founded by Aviad Maizels, who was one of the co-founders of a startup company acquired by Apple Inc. ten years ago and was responsible for developing Face ID. This new technology may help Apple Inc. improve audio products and artificial intelligence functions like Siri. Johny Srouji, who is responsible for Apple Inc.'s custom chips and the Israeli team, said, "Q is an outstanding company that has pioneered innovative and creative approaches using image and machine learning technologies." He also said that Apple Inc. is "excited about the future." Q.ai's technology can understand silent communication by analyzing facial muscle movements when a person speaks. According to the startup's website, its investors include Alphabet Inc. Class C Venture Capital, Spark Capital, and Kleiner Perkins. Q.ai's technology could also be used to enhance the sound quality of devices like AirPods. It is expected that in the coming months and years, earphones will become increasingly powerful artificial intelligence hardware products, with companies like OpenAI exploring new features and designs. Apple Inc. added several artificial intelligence enhancements to AirPods last year, including real-time translation mode. The newly acquired Q.ai technology could also be useful for applications like FaceTime, smart glasses, and wearable devices. Strategically, Apple Inc.'s hefty investment in recruiting former employees and integrating cutting-edge AI perception technology aims to strengthen its interactive barriers on the next-generation computing platform, especially for Apple Vision Pro and rumored lightweight AR glasses. Compared to Meta (META.US) or Alphabet Inc. Class C (GOOGL.US), which focus on the computational power competition of generative large models, Apple Inc.'s acquisition logic clearly leans toward deep integration of AI technology into underlying hardware, utilizing the edge computing capabilities of its self-developed chips to achieve millisecond-level facial pose perception. "We have combined advanced machine learning with physics to create truly deep and unique products," said Maizels, who founded PrimeSense, which was acquired by Apple Inc., and left Apple Inc. a few years ago, in a statement. "Becoming a part of Apple Inc. opens up extraordinary possibilities to break boundaries and bring these experiences to users worldwide." This acquisition once again confirms the central position of the Israeli tech ecosystem in Apple Inc.'s hardware evolution history. Looking back, from PrimeSense, which laid the foundation for Face ID, to Emotient, which strengthened emotion recognition, to RealFace, which focused on biometric security, Apple Inc. has built a complete facial AI technology map in Israel. The addition of Q.ai signifies that Apple Inc. is transitioning from a single "authentication" function to a deep "intent perception" phase, and with the subsequent technology's native adaptation on the M series or A series chips, the capital markets generally expect this acquisition to be a key determinant of Apple Inc.'s ability to maintain hardware premium and establish a critical competitive advantage in technology in the post-iPhone era.