Play AI, a startup that specializes in creating artificial intelligence-generated voices that sound human, has been formally acquired by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. According to Bloomberg, a Meta representative confirmed this development.
In a calculated move to bolster the tech giant’s capabilities in voice-based AI products and services, the entire Play AI team is reportedly joining Meta next week. Bloomberg obtained an internal memo that outlined the justification for the purchase.
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,” according to the memo. The purchase’s financial conditions were not made public.
In late June 2025, Meta made a significant strategic move when it paid $14.3 billion to acquire a 49% stake in Scale AI. Alexandr Wang, the CEO and co-founder of Scale, has joined Meta in a significant leadership position as a result of this agreement.
Wang was named Chief AI Officer by Zuckerberg and the leader of Meta’s recently established Meta Superintelligence Labs, a division designed to streamline and expedite all of Meta’s AI initiatives. Wang co-founded Scale AI in 2016 and brings with him a stellar track record. Under his direction, the business expanded into a significant player offering vital data infrastructure for AI training, catering to customers like the US Department of Defense, Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI. By 2024, it was valued at $13.8 billion.
Top talent from top AI labs has been drawn to Meta in addition to Scale AI. The business recently hired Jack Rae, a principal researcher from Google DeepMind, according to Bloomberg. Additionally, Meta has tried multiple times to hire from OpenAI.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, revealed in a podcast that Meta has given his employees signing bonuses of up to $100 million. Altman commended Meta for its audacious hiring practices, but he pointed out that none of OpenAI’s best candidates had accepted these offers.
Up until recently, Meta had mostly concentrated on developing its artificial intelligence capabilities through open-source initiatives and internal research, especially its large language model Llama. This strategy contrasted with rivals like Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft, who have heavily invested in outside AI startups like Anthropic and OpenAI.
In contrast, Meta continued to develop AI using a self-reliance strategy. But now, that approach is changing. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, declared in January 2025 that artificial intelligence would be the company’s top priority moving forward.
The company announced plans to invest up to $65 billion in AI infrastructure and innovation over the course of the year as part of this commitment.
