Meta (META.US) acquires PlayAI, a speech recognition startup, to strengthen its position in the AI field.

Meta (META.US) has acquired the startup company PlayAI, which specializes in artificial intelligence (AI) speech technology. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the acquisition. According to an internal memo, the entire PlayAI team will join Meta next week. The memo from Meta states that PlayAI's achievements in creating natural speech and providing a simple speech generation platform align well with Meta's work and roadmap in AI avatars, Meta AI, wearable devices, and audio content creation. Meta has been making significant investments in the AI field, including actively recruiting talent from OpenAI and partnering with Scale AI, whose CEO Alexandr Wang has joined Meta to lead a new team focused on superintelligence. The financial terms of this acquisition have not been disclosed.