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Apple reportedly acquiring PullString voice app company

Apple could be using PullString in the future to help bolster Siri.

Brittany Vincent

February 18, 2019 11:30 AM

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Apple is reportedly looking into making a bigger splash in the world of voice recognition and AI, and to do it, it may have agreed to purchase the San Francisco startup PullString.

PullString is focused on developing voice apps for Alexa, Google Assistant, and other smart hardware. Axios (via Apple Insider) reports that Apple's deal with PullString is reportedly worth around $100 million, with the potential for "larger payouts." PullString was previously known as ToyTalk and was founded by Pixar executives in 2011. The company's main product is called Converse, and it lets customers create their own "expressive apps" with custom voices.

Converse has worked with toys from Mattel, but also recently made the move to "internet of things" devices like Alexa and Google Assistant. New integrations of PullString Converse lets uses build customizable interactions with users such as those Siri is actually unable to do. Some of Converse's more useful integrations include trivia, quizzes, choose your own adventure games, and other various customer service-focused experiences meant to help customers before they're transferred to a live person.

It isn't currently clear what Apple plans to do with PullString, but it's likely from initial reports that it will be used to help strengthen Siri and add more items to her current set of features. There are still several things that Siri isn't able to do, at least as well as her competition, so we could see that changing in the future as Apple supposedly works with PullString to make improvements to its own tech.

What would you like to see Siri capable of in the future if you use her regularly? Or are you one of those folks who has the feature turned off entirely? Let us know in the comments below, and we'll see if anything comes of this purported deal in the future.

Brittany Vincent

Senior Editor

Fueled by horror, rainbow-sugar-pixel-rushes, and video games, Brittany is a Senior Editor at Shacknews who thrives on surrealism and ultraviolence. Follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake and check out her portfolio for more. Like a fabulous shooter once said, get psyched!