AI Giants Pivot to 'Emotional' Data With Non-Technical Acquisitions
Cognition, Midjourney, and OpenAI are buying apps in astrology, health, and messaging to secure intimate user relationships.
Silicon Valley’s leading AI labs are shifting their acquisition strategies away from core technical infrastructure toward apps that manage intimate personal data. This pivot signals a strategic move to secure user trust and emotional connectivity as the race for frontier model dominance matures.
In a series of divergent moves, Cognition—the developer of the coding agent Devin—acquired Poke, an AI texting agent capable of running natively within Apple Messages. Midjourney expanded its reach into the spiritual sector by acquiring the astrology app Co-Star, which brings a base of approximately 4.3 million monthly active users. Meanwhile, OpenAI moved into the healthcare space, acquiring the medical records startup Torch for a reported $100 million in January.
The Shift Toward Companionship
Historically, the primary objective for AI labs has been the scaling of model capabilities, focusing on the raw power of large language models and image generation. However, the industry is now pivoting toward the creation of "companions" that integrate deeply into a user's daily personal life. By acquiring existing platforms that already hold a place in a user's emotional or private routine, these companies are bypassing the slow process of building organic trust from the ground up.
Cognition Co-Founder Scott Wu highlighted this philosophy regarding the Poke acquisition, noting that the texting agent is proactive and engaging. "That’s exactly how working with Devin should feel," Wu said, suggesting that the technical utility of a coding agent is enhanced when paired with a more human-centric, conversational personality.
The Value of Intimate Data
These acquisitions represent a strategic bet that emotional connection and trust are competitive advantages that cannot be engineered through code alone. By owning platforms that handle highly sensitive data—ranging from spiritual beliefs in Co-Star to medical histories in Torch—AI giants are attempting to transform their products from simple utility tools into indispensable personal companions.
This strategy allows these firms to capture "emotional data," providing a layer of personalization that is difficult for competitors to replicate. When an AI knows a user's health records or their personal communication style, the switching cost for the consumer increases significantly, creating a powerful moat around the ecosystem.
Future Outlook
As these companies integrate these diverse datasets, the industry will be watching for how this personal data is used to refine the next generation of agents. The primary question remains whether users will be comfortable with the consolidation of their most private information—health, spirituality, and personal messages—under the umbrella of a few massive AI corporations. For now, the move suggests that the next frontier of AI is not just intelligence, but intimacy.