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OpenAI has reportedly taken over Weights.gg, a startup known for its AI-based voice cloning technology, according to a recent report by The New York Times. While the exact value of the acquisition remains undisclosed, the deal is said to include the company’s technology assets as well as its small workforce.
The acquisition came shortly after Weights.gg officially shut down its services earlier this year. Anyone visiting the platform now sees a message confirming that the company discontinued operations on April 1, 2026, bringing an end to all of its tools and services.
Weights.gg was an AI platform that allowed users to create and share realistic voice models through its app called Replay. The startup gained attention for enabling users to generate cloned versions of celebrity voices, fictional characters, and public figures using artificial intelligence.
Its platform reportedly featured AI-generated voice models inspired by artists such as Taylor Swift and Kanye West, along with members of BLACKPINK. Users also experimented with recreating voices of political leaders like Donald Trump and Joe Biden, as well as animated characters including Bugs Bunny.
The company became popular among creators and internet communities due to the realism of its AI-generated voices, but it also faced criticism over copyright concerns and potential misuse of deepfake technology.
Reports suggest OpenAI is not planning to relaunch Weights.gg as a separate consumer platform. Instead, the company is believed to be using the startup’s technology and talent to strengthen its own voice-based AI systems.
The employees from Weights.gg have reportedly been distributed across multiple teams within OpenAI. Industry experts believe the acquisition could help improve OpenAI’s existing speech and audio capabilities, especially as voice interaction becomes a bigger focus for AI products.
OpenAI has already been expanding its voice-related tools for developers through its APIs. These tools allow developers to build features such as AI voice assistants, live voice translation, and conversational systems powered by speech recognition.
The company has also integrated ChatGPT into Apple CarPlay, offering users a voice-first AI experience similar to digital assistants like Siri.
Although OpenAI has been actively developing voice AI technology, the company has previously acknowledged the risks associated with realistic voice replication. A few years ago, OpenAI revealed that it had created advanced voice cloning systems but chose not to publicly release them because of safety and misuse concerns.
According to reports, OpenAI still does not plan to provide unrestricted voice cloning access to the general public. Instead, the technology is expected to remain limited to selected partners and controlled use cases.
The rise of AI-generated voice tools has triggered legal and ethical debates across the entertainment and technology industries. Several celebrities and public figures have expressed concerns about their voices and likenesses being copied without permission.
Recently, Taylor Swift reportedly filed trademark applications in the United States to protect her identity and voice rights. Actress Scarlett Johansson had also publicly criticised OpenAI over a ChatGPT voice feature that she believed sounded similar to her own voice.
As AI voice technology continues to improve, experts believe companies will face increasing pressure to balance innovation with privacy, copyright protection, and ethical safeguards.
