Apple acquires French computer vision, facial analysis startup

Apple has acquired Datakalab, a Paris-based startup that specializes in AI compression and computer vision. The acquisition was finalized in December 2023, according to 9to5 Mac.

First founded in 2016, Datakalab has described itself as “experts in low power, runtime efficient, and deep learning algorithms” that can work effectively on portable devices. It held multiple patents in AI compression and computer vision.

The company develops computer image analysis algorithms to measure flows in public space. The images are processed locally and turned into anonymized statistical data in under 100ms.

Operating on the principles of privacy by design, Datakalab does not store any images or personal data, instead only storing statistical data.

The company also developed facial recognition that could analyze human emotions, which was used to monitor audience reactions during movie screenings.

The original founders did not join Apple as part of the acquisition, according to reports, but several other employees did.

Datakalab partnered with the French government in May 2020 to provide face biometrics-based checks on whether people were wearing face masks in Paris transportation systems. It has also partnered with Disney, among others, in the past.

This comes as Apple is expected to introduce more AI features to iOS 18 later this year. Times of India anticipates the operating system will be launched at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference 2024, which takes place on June 10, 2024.

The iPhone 16 model is expected to launch in September and might see more on-device AI tools as a result as well. The acquisition also has implications for Apple’s Vision Pro and the future of photos and Face ID on Apple devices.

Article Topics

acquisitions  |  Apple  |  computer vision  |  Datakalab  |  face biometrics  |  facial analysis