Apple is reportedly finalizing the acquisition of Brighter AI, a German startup known for its generative AI technology that anonymizes face and license plate data. The acquisition is expected to enhance the privacy features of Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset, as well as other products and services.
Brighter AI, founded in 2017, has developed Deep Natural Anonymization, a solution that replaces identifiable features in images and videos with realistic synthetic ones in order to comply with data protection regulations while using visual data for analysis and machine learning.
The technology is likely to be used to reduce the privacy risks associated with Apple’s Vision Pro headset, which is scheduled to launch in 2025 and combines augmented and virtual reality. This wearable device could potentially capture and store personal information in public spaces, raising privacy concerns.
While Apple already uses techniques to blur faces and license plates in its Apple Maps imagery, Brighter AI’s technology could offer a more advanced and natural way of anonymizing data. This could also benefit other Apple products and services that rely on visual data, such as Photos, iCloud, Siri, and CarPlay.
Although the acquisition has not been confirmed by Apple, sources have indicated that the deal is in the final stages of negotiation. The terms and value of the deal are unknown, but Brighter AI previously raised US$3.5 million in a seed round.
If completed, this acquisition would be Apple’s first AI-related deal in 2024 and is in line with the company’s efforts to strengthen its AI capabilities and privacy standards. In the past, Apple has acquired several AI startups, including Xnor.ai, Voysis, Inductiv, and Vilynx, to improve technologies such as edge computing, voice recognition, data quality, and video analysis. Apple has also demonstrated its commitment to user privacy through the introduction of features such as App Tracking Transparency, Privacy Labels, and Private Relay.