Meta Acquires Play AI to Power Next‑Gen Voice AI Across Its Platforms
The full Play AI team is expected to join Meta next week.
Meta has officially acquired Play AI, a U.S.-based voice cloning and AI speech startup, as part of an aggressive push into voice-driven artificial intelligence, according to reports.
Play AI’s flagship capabilities include low-latency, multilingual text-to-speech, voice cloning, and voice agent APIs designed for real-time conversational apps across digital platforms. The startup supports over 30 languages and offers human-like voice generation ideal for customer service bots and content creation.
Meta has identified Play AI’s tech as a “great match” for its growing AI ecosystem—which includes Meta AI, smart glasses, and AI Characters—and aligns with its $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI. Though financial terms were not disclosed, analysts estimate the acquisition was valued at approximately $45 million.
The full Play AI team is expected to join Meta next week, reporting to Johan Schalkwyk, a former Google speech expert now leading voice initiatives at Meta.
This move reinforces Meta’s strategy of embedding voice as a core interface across its products. Integrating Play AI’s voice tools could bring lifelike speech to WhatsApp, Instagram, AR/VR wearables, and the Superintelligence Lab’s future offerings.
Meta’s acquisition spree, including talent from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Apple, highlights a broader trend: securing specialised AI teams to build multimodal, voice-first technologiesto . The addition of Play AI accelerates Meta’s bid to lead in speech-based AI innovation.
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