Meta, the social media giant led by Mark Zuckerberg, is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire Play AI, a Palo Alto, California-based voice cloning startup. This potential acquisition underscores Meta's aggressive strategy to bolster its artificial intelligence (AI) division and acquire top AI talent amidst intensifying competition with rivals such as OpenAI and Google.

Founded in 2019 by Hammad Syed and Mahmoud Felfel, Play AI specializes in building real-time conversational agents, voice interfaces, and in-house AI voice models. Its technology allows users to clone various types of voices for AI-powered applications, including customer service. The startup has successfully raised $23.5 million in total funding from investors like 500 Startups, Kindred Ventures, Race Capital, 500 Global, and Soma Capital.

The reported move to acquire Play AI is multifaceted. Primarily, it aims to secure skilled AI employees, with the deal reportedly including a provision to onboard some of the startup's staff. Beyond talent acquisition, Meta seeks to integrate Play AI's advanced voice technology into its consumer-facing AI features. While Meta's current Meta AI chatbot offers a two-way voice conversation feature, it is primarily a low-latency text-to-speech (TTS) tool, lagging behind competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini in terms of expressive, human-like voice experiences. The acquisition of Play AI could significantly enhance Meta's AI infrastructure, enabling more sophisticated and natural voice interactions.

This potential deal is part of a broader, intensified focus on AI by Meta, which Zuckerberg has declared as the company's top priority. Earlier this month, Meta invested a substantial $14.3 billion in data labeling startup Scale AI, a deal that valued Scale AI at $29 billion. As part of that agreement, Scale AI's CEO and cofounder, Alexandr Wang, joined Meta's new 'superintelligence' team, which is dedicated to developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) – AI that can potentially surpass human capabilities. Wang is also recognized for his connections in policy circles, and Scale AI has previously collaborated with Meta's key AI competitors, including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google.

Meta's push for AI talent extends to high-profile hires from competing firms. Lucas Beyer, one of three senior researchers who recently departed OpenAI, confirmed his new role at Meta, though he publicly dismissed claims of a $100 million sign-on bonus for the trio, which also included Alexander Kolesnikov and Xiaohua Zhai. This aggressive recruitment strategy has drawn criticism, with OpenAI chief Sam Altman suggesting that Meta resorts to offering massive packages to lure talent due to a perceived lack of innovation. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has denied these allegations.

Beyond voice cloning, Meta has been actively exploring other AI acquisition opportunities. Reports earlier this month indicated discussions with Perplexity regarding a potential acquisition and attempts to acquire Runway AI, a startup specializing in AI models for video generation. These efforts, combined with existing features like chatbots for creators and video editing capabilities within Meta AI, paint a clear picture of Meta's comprehensive strategy to dominate various facets of the AI landscape.

It is important to note that the acquisition deal for Play AI has not been finalized, and its financial terms are currently undisclosed. Details of the agreement could still change as discussions progress, but the potential move signifies Meta's unwavering commitment to expanding its AI capabilities and leadership in the rapidly evolving field.