In the latest chapter in Meta's AI buying and hiring spree, Meta has acquired AI voice cloning startup PlayAI. According to an internal memo leaked to Bloomberg, the "entire PlayAI team," around 35 people, will join Meta this week. They will report to Johan Schalkwyk, a former speech AI researcher at Google who recently joined Meta from another AI voice startup called Sesame AI. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Meta Connect in September 2024. In June, the company made one of its biggest investments yet, pouring $14.3 billion into AI data training startup Scale AI in exchange for a 49% stake in the startup and access to new talent.