July 14, 2025 – According to a Bloomberg report on the 11th local time, Meta has finalized its acquisition of voice AI startup PlayAI, with the entire PlayAI team set to join Meta this week. It’s worth noting that the scale of this deal is larger than what was previously reported by the same media outlet.
The PlayAI team, which specializes in voice cloning technology, will report to Johan Schalkwyk within Meta. Schalkwyk previously worked at another voice AI company, Sesame AI, before making the move to Meta.
In an internal memo reviewed by Bloomberg, Meta stated that the work done by the PlayAI team in creating natural-sounding voices, along with their platform for easy voice creation, aligns perfectly with Meta’s ongoing projects and future plans in areas such as AI characters, Meta AI, wearable devices, and audio content creation.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the acquisition to Bloomberg but declined to provide further comments. Additionally, Meta has not disclosed any financial details regarding this transaction.
