{
  "id": 10446877,
  "title": "AppDirect acquires interactive AI avatar firm Soul Machines for advisers and businesses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/appdirect-acquires-interactive-ai-avatar-firm-soul-machines-for",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-28T13:00:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SiliconANGLE",
    "slug": "siliconangle",
    "url": "https://siliconangle.com/2026/09/28/appdirect-acquires-interactive-ai-avatar-firm-soul-machines-for-advisors-and-businesses/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "AppDirect, a cloud-based business commerce platform, has acquired Soul Machines, an artificial intelligence company specializing in human-like avatar experiences. The acquisition aims to enhance AppDirect's ability to offer interactive experiences for sales, advisers, support, and services. As companies increasingly seek practical applications for AI, AppDirect seeks to provide a \"human face\" for its apps to improve customer engagement and support. Soul Machines' digital avatars, which can see, listen, react, and remember interactions, will be integrated into AppDirect's platform to create more engaging experiences. The avatars are designed to appear human-like, with lifelike voices, to foster trust and engagement. This acquisition will enable AppDirect's customers to move beyond text-based AI interfaces and adopt more engaging experiences, particularly in areas such as customer support, self-service, learning and development, and digital commerce assistance.",
  "summary": "AppDirect Inc., the cloud-based business commerce platform and marketplace provider, today announced it acquired Soul Machines Ltd., an artificial intelligence human-like avatar experience provider, to expand the company’s ability to deploy interactive experiences for sales, advisers, support and services. As more organizations move beyond experimenting with AI, many are looking for ways to use…",
  "key_points": [
    "AppDirect acquires Soul Machines, AI avatar firm",
    "Interactive avatars to enhance customer engagement",
    "Integration aims for more human-like customer support"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}