Meta has finalised an agreement to purchase PlayAI, a small startup specialising in voice AI.
According to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg, the “entire PlayAI team” is expected to join Meta next week. The PlayAI group will report to Johan Schalkwyk, who has recently joined Meta from Sesame AI, a voice AI startup.
Previously, Bloomberg News reported that discussions regarding an acquisition were taking place between the companies.
Meta has prioritised AI as its main focus this year, heavily investing in essential infrastructure, such as chips and data centres, as well as hiring leading experts to develop AI models and features.
The CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently shared significant changes to the organisation of the company’s AI division, appointing former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to lead the newly formed Meta Superintelligence Labs.
Along with this, Meta is also on an aggressive recruitment drive from OpenAI. They have hired approximately 10 leading researchers and developers, with some compensation packages reaching up to $300 million over four years, including equity.
Recently, Meta finalised a similar agreement by acquiring a 49% ownership in Scale AI. As part of this arrangement, Scale AI’s CEO, Alexandr Wang, has joined Meta to lead a new team focused on superintelligence, AIM reported.
The financial details of the acquisition were not revealed. A spokesperson from Meta confirmed the acquisition but chose not to provide any additional comments, Bloomberg reported.
According to the memo, the PlayAI team’s expertise in developing natural voices and an accessible voice creation platform aligns well with our initiatives and plans in AI Characters, Meta AI, Wearables, and audio content development.
Earlier this year, Reuters disclosed that the company intends to invest as much as $65 billion in projects related to AI.
The Economic Times reported that Meta has ramped up its investment and hiring in AI, including an aggressive recruitment drive from OpenAI. They have hired approximately 10 leading researchers and developers, with some compensation packages reaching up to $300 million over four years, including equity.
