Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up
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Apple Acquires Q.ai for Reported $2B in Second-Largest Deal
Apple Acquires Q.ai for Reported $2B in Second-Largest Deal
Is Apple's Q.ai acquisition a savvy leap in the AI race or a dangerous expansion of surveillance technology?
Above: Apple CEO Tim Cook at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2026. Image credit: Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images
The Spin
This acquisition is a savvy leap in the AI race, boosting Apple’s ambitions in lip-reading, facial recognition, and more intuitive device control. The reported $2 billion deal underscores how successful Israeli startups have fueled innovation for global giants like Apple, helping it recover from setbacks and strengthen its future AI leadership.
Apple is importing Israeli surveillance-linked technology into consumer devices, raising alarms about biometric monitoring, emotion detection and facial micro-movement tracking embedded in everyday products. It also reflects a troubling pattern of Big Tech profiting off of and enabling Israel's unethical military tech industry.
The Controversies
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0