Personal assistants like Siri and Google Now are getting smarter and more intuitive by the day.
But what if your smartphone could peer at your glum mug and decide you need a little cheering up? It could instantly begin playing Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves and all would be right with the world again.
That reality may not be too far away, judging by Apple’s latest AI start-up acquisition.
According to reports, the company has bought up Emotient, a company which specialises in picking up the emotions in people’s faces.
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The Wall Street Journal says Emotient is often used by advertisers to glean reactions to ads, while it is also used by businesses to gauge the moods of shoppers. Doctors have even frequented the technology to help patients who struggle to express themselves verbally.
The company confirmed the acquisition in a statement, but failed to provide further details.
A spokeswoman said: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
The deal follows Apple’s recent acquisitions of Perceptio and VocalIQ as it seeks to boost its footprint in the artificial intelligence sector.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
