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Meta in talks to acquire AI voice startup PlayAI for talent push
Meta Platforms Inc. is in advanced talks to acquire PlayAI, a small startup using artificial intelligence to replicate voices, part of the social media company's push to nab top talent and catch up in the AI race.
Meta is expected to acquire the Palo Alto, California-based startup's technology and some of its employees, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named sharing private information. The deal is not yet finalized and could still change, the people said. Financial terms under discussion could not be learned.
A Meta spokesperson declined to comment. A representative for PlayAI did not respond to request for comment.
Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has made AI the company's top priority this year as it competes with rivals like Alphabet Inc.'s Google and OpenAI to build AI features. Meta invested $14.3 billion in data-labeling startup Scale AI earlier this month and recruited the firm's CEO to join a new 'superintelligence' team that Zuckerberg is building.
Zuckerberg has also poached AI researchers from Google, Sesame AI Inc. and OpenAI for Meta's new 'superintelligence' team. Meta recently hired three OpenAI researchers from the ChatGPT maker's Zurich office, according to a person familiar with the hires. OpenAI confirmed their departure but declined to comment beyond that. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported Meta's latest hires.
With the PlayAI deal, Meta could get added expertise to bring more voice features to its AI assistant and hands-free devices like smartglasses, a key area of focus for Zuckerberg. Other companies, including OpenAI and Google, have also added voice capabilities into their AI systems to build more compelling digital assistants.
PlayAI creates AI-powered voice features with the goal of being as 'responsive as a conversation between two people,' according to a company blog post. The startup announced a $21 million funding round in late 2024 from several investors, including Kindred Ventures, Y Combinator and 500 Global.
Zuckerberg has been actively hunting for AI deals. Meta held acquisition talks with Perplexity AI Inc. before finalizing its ScaleAI investment, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month. Meta also discussed a possible takeover of AI video startup Runway AI Inc., but it never reached a formal offer level, Bloomberg reported.
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