logo
Meta continues acquisition spree, grabs voice AI startup PlayAI

Meta continues acquisition spree, grabs voice AI startup PlayAI

Time of India14-07-2025
Academy
Empower your mind, elevate your skills
Meta has acquired Play AI , an artificial intelligence startup that specialises in creating human-like voices.According to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg, the entire Play AI team will be joining Meta next week. They will report to Johan Schalkwyk, who recently moved to Meta from another voice AI startup , Sesame AI Inc.Meta's memo stated that Play AI's 'work in creating natural voices, along with a platform for easy voice creation, is a great match for our work and road map, across AI Characters, Meta AI , Wearables and audio content creation'.However, the financial details of the acquisition were not made public.Recently, Meta struck a similar deal, acquiring a 49% stake in Scale AI. As part of that deal, Scale AI 's CEO, Alexandr Wang, joined Meta to head a new superintelligence team Meta has been on an investment and hiring spree in AI for a few weeks now, including aggressively recruiting from OpenAI. According to a report by The Verge, Meta has hired as many as 10 leading researchers and developers from OpenAI, with some compensation packages reportedly reaching up to $300 million over four years, including equity.However, Meta has disputed this figure.OpenAI is not Meta's only source for new talent. The company has also made several high-profile hires, including Daniel Gross, CEO of AI startup Safe Superintelligence; Ruoming Pang, who leads Apple's Foundation Models team; and Nat Friedman, the former CEO of GitHub.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Can 24/7 AI support help teachers connect better with their students today?
Can 24/7 AI support help teachers connect better with their students today?

India Today

time30 minutes ago

  • India Today

Can 24/7 AI support help teachers connect better with their students today?

Once considered an alternative, online learning is now a regular part of education for nearly half of all students worldwide. Schools and universities are finding new ways to connect with students, using digital tools that offer support and guidance whenever and wherever it's needed. This change began with the pandemic in 2020 when lockdowns globally interrupted classes for over 1.6 billion students, but today it has changed education. What began as an emergency response has since evolved into a long-term transformation. advertisementMore and more institutions are increasingly using AI-enabled conversational experiences to meet the rising demand for flexibility, personalisation, and real-time support for learners. With this growing adoption, the global online learning market is expected to top 370 billion dollars by 2026, and more than 57 million people are likely to be using these platforms by the future of education is being defined by the rapid rise of intelligent, omnichannel learning ecosystems that seamlessly integrate content, communication, and support across every digital touchpoint. Pravesh Khokhar, Sales Director India at Infobip, believes omnichannel education is shaping the future of flexible and inclusive learning. With AI-powered tools, institutions can now make learning more personalised, accessible, and connected than ever LEARNING IN ACTIONOmnichannel education goes beyond availability on multiple platforms. It delivers a connected learning experience where transitions between devices feel natural and uninterrupted. A student may start a lesson on a laptop, ask a question through a chatbot on WhatsApp, get a reminder by SMS, and complete an assignment through a mobile app. When powered by AI, each of these interactions is aware of the learner's context, maintaining flow and relevance throughout the journey. This mirrors how students already communicate in their daily lives. The learning experience now fits into their rhythm, making education more accessible and responsive. STRENGTHENING THE TEACHER-STUDENT CONNECTION AI is not replacing educators. Instead, it enhances their ability to focus on meaningful engagement. By handling routine tasks and frequently asked questions, conversational platforms free up time for teachers to mentor, coach, and respond to individual student needs. Sentiment analysis and behaviour tracking tools enable instructors to identify disengaged students and step in before issues enables teachers to do what they do best, while AI supports them with timely insights and intelligent assistance. With round-the-clock student support facilities, omnichannel learning takes the overall experience a step OF REAL TIME AND 24/7 SUPPORTStudents increasingly expect academic support to be available when they need it instead of fixed hours. AI-powered systems provide this immediacy through intelligent chatbots, multilingual virtual assistants, and integrated help centres. Learning never stops. These tools deliver real-time responses in local languages and help ensure smooth momentum. advertisementStudent interactions in local languages like Hindi, Marathi, and even international languages like Spanish give the educators insight into the level of knowledge acquired and assessed. While customising modules, it also provides personalised learning experiences to engage with today's learners. Institutions are not stopping there, they are enrolling students in advanced, extended courses and strategically segmenting them by skill and interest using sophisticated engagement platforms. These platforms deliver rich educational content, including video lessons, directly to students through the messaging channels they use every day. This omnichannel approach is not just modernising education but also setting a new standard for personalisation as well as accessibility.----AI-powered conversational experiences, delivered through omnichannel platforms, are fast becoming essential to how education must function in a digital-first world. These systems enable institutions to deliver at scale while maintaining personalisation and responsiveness, without compromising the human connection that is crucial for the global edtech market projected to reach over 356 billion dollar by 2029, the urgency to adopt intelligent, omnichannel strategies is not just a matter of innovation but long-term institutions that move now to embed AI-driven learning will serve the evolving needs of today's learners and lead the development of lifelong, flexible, and high-impact learning ecosystems. This is the moment to act with clarity, invest with conviction, and design learning experiences that are not just future-ready but future-defining. - EndsMust Watch

Become a Tech Product Manager with ISB Online's GenAI-powered 28-week Certification Programme
Become a Tech Product Manager with ISB Online's GenAI-powered 28-week Certification Programme

Time of India

time34 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Become a Tech Product Manager with ISB Online's GenAI-powered 28-week Certification Programme

As AI reshapes every industry, product management has evolved into a high-impact, cross-functional role, blending technology, design thinking, and market insight. With organisations racing to build user-first, scalable products, skilled product managers are in high demand to lead innovation and drive growth. To thrive in AI-led, tech-first organisations, product leaders need a strong blend of business insight, customer focus, and technical skills. The ISB Online Professional Certificate in Product Management Programme is designed to build these capabilities, offering deep training in Tech Product Management, with modules on AI and GenAI, agile roadmapping, data-led decisions, and product lifecycle strategy. With live masterclasses, hands-on tools, and real-world projects, learners gain the expertise to build, launch, and scale products in today's fast-moving digital economy. Programme Highlights The 28-week online (4 to 6 hours/week) programme enables professionals to steer organisations on the right path, direct the decision-making process and adapt to consumer needs. It offers a structured approach to managing the complete product lifecycle. The programme will teach participants competition analysis, product roadmapping, prototyping, A/B testing, and more, while building strong Tech Product Management skills required to lead in today's digital-first companies. They will understand how to ideate, test, and launch products that meet the requirements of the consumers, guided by ISB's globally renowned faculty. Participants will dive into AI and Generative AI's impact on product management, boosting decisions, speeding up development, and refining user experiences via a live masterclass with an industry expert. They will explore various GenAI models and applications in market research, roadmaps, user experience, ethical considerations and more. Participants will also learn from product managers from Meta, Microsoft, Flipkart, Swiggy and Paytm through 5 hands-on projects, 14 masterclasses, and 12 essential tools in product management tools like Asana, Notion, Figma, Miro, SQL, Mix panel, Balsamiq, Google Analytics, JIRA, VWO, Survey Monkey and Google Forms. There will be 4 live masterclasses on application of AI and GenAI in product management , new product development, product marketing, GTM, and market research. Their learning trajectory will also be supplemented by 30 assignments and quizzes, 40+ case studies , discussion boards and self-study activities , 11 live doubt-solving sessions with programme leaders. Key outcomes that will elevate your product career: Adopt a product mindset to identify market gaps and build high-impact, user-first solutions. Measure what matters by tracking product performance and conducting competition analysis using real-world frameworks. Think like a tech product leader—design and execute go-to-market plans with creativity and data-driven decision making. Master product workflows including roadmapping, prototyping, and feature prioritisation using modern product management techniques. Build scalable, competitive products by applying strategic product development frameworks used by top tech firms. Why ISB Online? Accredited by three global accreditation bodies - EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA, ISB is ranked as the #1 business school in India, #5 in Asia, #27 Globally, according to the Financial Times Global Ranking 2025, ISB Online brings unparalleled expertise to the digital transformation domain. Upon successfully completing the programme with a minimum 70% score, learners will be awarded a certificate from ISB Online and gain the prestigious ISB Online Alumni Status, which includes networking opportunities, online and offline events and more. Being a product manager is a rewarding experience that gives professionals opportunities for growth and innovation, leading to a visible impact in the corporate world. Pursuing product management from a reputed institute like ISB Online will equip students with a blend of creativity, strategic thinking and leadership that will empower them to accelerate their careers towards newer destinations. Here is what you need to know before enrolling in the programme ● Eligibility: Any graduate/ Diploma holder ● Fee: INR 2,59,900 + GST ● Duration: 28 weeks online (4-6 hours/week) To know more about this programme, click here .

WhatsApp to Soon Let Users Import Profile Photos from Facebook and Instagram
WhatsApp to Soon Let Users Import Profile Photos from Facebook and Instagram

Hans India

timean hour ago

  • Hans India

WhatsApp to Soon Let Users Import Profile Photos from Facebook and Instagram

In a move aimed at making user experience more seamless across its platforms, WhatsApp is reportedly testing a new feature that will allow Android users to import their profile pictures directly from Facebook or Instagram. This eliminates the need to download images manually from other platforms to use as a display picture on WhatsApp. According to WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, this upcoming functionality is currently being tested through the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.25.21.23. As per reports, users who have access to this version can already spot new options under the profile settings. In addition to the existing sources for setting a display photo — like camera, gallery, avatar, and Meta AI — two new options, Facebook and Instagram, have been added to the list. Until now, users who wanted to use a photo from their Facebook or Instagram profiles on WhatsApp had to go through a tedious process. This involved saving the image to their phone's gallery first and then uploading it manually to WhatsApp. The new feature aims to simplify this process and create a unified identity across Meta-owned platforms. The update is part of Meta's ongoing efforts to integrate its apps more closely. The feature works through Meta's Accounts Centre, a unified system that allows users to manage their profiles, logins, and content across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Users who wish to import their profile photos from other platforms will first need to link their WhatsApp account with their Meta account via this centre. The functionality will be accessible directly from the profile section under WhatsApp settings. Users simply need to tap on their current profile picture and choose either Facebook or Instagram to import a new one. However, it's worth noting that the feature will not be enabled by default. Users will have to manually opt in by linking their accounts through the Accounts Centre. This approach ensures that users have control over their cross-platform presence. Even with tighter integration, WhatsApp will maintain its end-to-end encryption and other existing privacy measures. The platform has reassured users that their privacy will not be compromised and the import feature will only apply to profile photos, not chats or contact data. While this functionality is still under development, only a limited group of users enrolled in the Google Play Beta Programme currently have access to it. Meta has yet to announce a public rollout date, but the feature is expected to be part of a future update for Android users. By allowing easier profile syncing across apps, WhatsApp is inching closer toward a more interconnected and user-friendly experience within the Meta ecosystem — a move that many frequent users of all three platforms will likely welcome.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store