Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai

Wake me up when they let one of these acqui-hires update Siri to be on par with a voice assistant I could make in an afternoon with off the shelf tools.

Re: Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai

#6

Post by assaddayinh » Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 9:31 PM UTC

The ability to impress CEOs and signal hotness to investors, may not corelate at all with the ability to produce breakthrough technology. Thus companies like google grow up unbought to then become ..

Re: Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai

#7

Post by alighter » Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 9:36 PM UTC

bnchrch wrote: post #5

Wake me up when they let one of these acqui-hires update Siri to be on par with a voice assistant I could make in an afternoon with off the shelf tools.

This. And next word prediction / autocorrect that doesn’t look like it’s from the previous century.

Re: Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai

#8

Post by clueless » Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 9:46 PM UTC

Could Q.ai be commercializing the AlterEgo tech coming out of MIT Lab? i.e. "detects faint neuromuscular signals in the face and throat when a person internally verbalizes words"

Yep, looks like that is it. Recent patent from one of the founders: https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&h...

Re: Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai

#9

Post by tobmlt » Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 9:51 PM UTC

alighter wrote: post #7

bnchrch wrote: post #5

Wake me up when they let one of these acqui-hires update Siri to be on par with a voice assistant I could make in an afternoon with off the shelf tools.

This. And next word prediction / autocorrect that doesn’t look like it’s from the previous century.

On both my nokia and my blackberry it was far far better than on my iphone. That wasn't quite 199X but pretty close.

I wish the iphone had word prediction and autocorrect that was from the previous centruy

Re: Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai

#10

Post by wahnfrieden » Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 9:54 PM UTC

bnchrch wrote: post #5

Wake me up when they let one of these acqui-hires update Siri to be on par with a voice assistant I could make in an afternoon with off the shelf tools.

that already made the news. it will be powered by gemini and may launch before next wwdc.