Transform many squares into circles

Question

I would like to create a highly stylized QR code. Namely, I want to transform all of the squares into circles (diameter = square width).

Question

Does Illustrator have a built-in means for a task like this? For the isolated squares, it doesn't seem too daunting, but when many squares are stacked together, it creates a solid irregular shape which seems to pose a greater challenge.

The file I'd be working with is a .PNG exactly like the one below, not an existing .AI file.

Answer 1

• Menu File > Place > place the image in an Illustrator document
• Select the image
• Menu Object > Create Object Mosaic > Number of Tiles = the same number of squares the image has (63x63)
• Deselect the image and select it again
• Menu Object > Ungroup
• Menu Effect > Convert to Shape > Ellipse > Absolute = the small square size

Result