Meta Platforms has purchased artificial intelligence voice technology startup PlayAI for an undisclosed sum. The entire PlayAI staff will segue to Meta this month, reporting to Johan Schalkwyk, who was recently hired by the social giant from another voice startup, Sesame AI. Co-founded at Y Combinator by Mahmoud Felfel and Hammad Syed, PlayAI launched with a Chrome plugin that delivered audio versions of printed articles, later evolving into a broader AI voice platform. The main product, the Play 3.0 model, supports more than 30 languages and enables the quick creation of voice agents for things like sales and customer support.

“The PlayAI team’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 an internal Meta memo reprinted in part by Bloomberg, which notes that “Meta has made AI the company’s top priority this year, investing heavily in infrastructure such as chips and data centers, as well as recruiting top talent to build AI models and features.”

The purchase of PlayAI is another example of the “acquihire” trend that sees Big Tech firms making investments in startups or buying them outright as a way to onboard talent. Meta recently invested in Scale AI as a way to bring its founder and CEO Alexandr Wang and part of his team to Meta, putting the 28-year-old entrepreneur in charge of a new group called Meta Superintelligence Labs.

Likewise, Google made a $2.4 billion talent and technology licensing deal with AI coding assistant firm Windsurf this month.

Founded in 2021, according to Y Combinator, PlayAI’s principal offering is “a voice cloning tool that can generate human-sounding voices” that led to partnerships with “companies like Walgreens and Salesforce to create voice agents for businesses that are available to answer questions, handle transactions, and schedule appointments,” Entrepreneur writes.

Maginative points out that voice technology in particular “has become increasingly important for Meta products including smart glasses, which the company has doubled down on with purchase this month of a $3.5 billion equity stake in global eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica SA.

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses collaboration with EssilorLuxottica “have tripled in sales,” says Maginative, noting that “PlayAI’s voice cloning and synthesis capabilities will enhance Meta’s AI Characters, wearables, and audio content creation tools,” including in its Quest VR headsets.

In June, Meta expanded its smart glasses portfolio, announcing a line targeting athletes produced in conjunction with EL’s Oakley brand.