Meta Acquires AI-Powered Voice Cloning Startup

Meta continues to invest in artificial intelligence. After snatching talent from OpenAI, the American giant has acquired Play AI, a California-based startup specializing in AI voice cloning. According to Bloomberg, the startup's team will join Mark Zuckerberg's company this week and will work under the leadership of Johan Schalkwyk, Google's former head of voice AI research.

Play AI's tool can clone a user's voice and generate new, human-like voices that can be used on websites, apps, and smartphones. Meta noted that PlayAI's work is "an excellent fit" for some of its existing services, including the Meta AI chatbot, also available in Italy, and Metaverse avatars.

The company confirmed the acquisition to Bloomberg without disclosing the financial details of the deal. In recent months, Mark Zuckerberg has been working to create a new AI superintelligence lab within Meta with the goal of developing advanced AI, or artificial general intelligence (AGI). In June, the group completed a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, hiring CEO Alexandr Wang to lead the new lab.

The company also offered significant bonuses to employees of competing companies, such as OpenAI and Google, to attract them to its generative AI initiatives.