OpenAI Bought Company That Offered A.I. Tools for Cloning Voices

"Two years ago, technologists at OpenAI published a blog post detailing how the company had developed the ability to replicate human voices using powerful artificial intelligence technology. The new software was so advanced, the researchers said, that OpenAI decided not to release it to the public out of an abundance of caution. While the company's position has not changed, it has not stopped OpenAI from continuing to work on the technology."

"This year, OpenAI quietly purchased a small start-up, Weights.gg, that offered A.I. tools to create clones of people's voices, two people familiar with the deal said on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Terms of the deal, which has not been publicly reported, could not be learned. People familiar with the acquisition said OpenAI had bought both the company's small team of employees and its intellectual property."

"Weights.gg announced it was shutting down its services in March. Weights.gg worked as a kind of social network for creating and sharing A.I. algorithms that could do things like clone voices using the company's free consumer app, which is called Replay. One YouTube user showed how he had used Weights.gg's technology to clone the voice of the actor Samuel L. Jackson."

"Some of the top voice models in the company's repository included clones of Taylor Swift, Kanye West and members of the popular K-pop band Blackpink. Weights.gg's tools were also used to clone other copyrighted voices, including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Weights.gg's library also contained the voices of prominent political figures, including President Trump and former President Joseph R. Biden Jr."

OpenAI developed technology capable of replicating human voices and previously chose not to release it publicly out of caution. Work on the capability continued. OpenAI later acquired Weights.gg, a startup providing tools to create voice clones, purchasing its employees and intellectual property. Weights.gg shut down its services in March. The startup’s tools functioned through a consumer app called Replay and operated like a social network for creating and sharing AI algorithms. Voice models included celebrity voices such as Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and members of Blackpink, along with copyrighted characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. The library also included political figures such as President Trump and former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

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