OpenAI Bought Company That Offered A.I. Tools for Cloning Voices
OpenAI acquired Weights.gg, a startup offering AI tools for voice cloning, despite previously declining to release similar technology due to concerns. The company, which shut down in March, had created voice models of celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson, Taylor Swift, and political figures, raising copyright and ethical issues.
OpenAI has acquired Weights.gg, a startup specializing in AI tools for cloning human voices, despite earlier decisions to withhold such technology from public use. The acquisition, confirmed by two anonymous sources familiar with the deal, includes Weights.gg’s small team and intellectual property, though financial terms remain undisclosed. Weights.gg operated as a platform where users could create and share AI algorithms, including voice-cloning models like those of Samuel L. Jackson, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Blackpink, and even cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. The company also included political figures like President Trump and former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. in its voice library. Weights.gg’s services shut down in March after raising around $4 million in venture capital, leaving its employees to disperse across OpenAI’s teams. The startup’s technology allowed users to replicate voices with high accuracy, as demonstrated in a YouTube video where a user cloned Samuel L. Jackson’s voice. High-profile figures like Taylor Swift have taken legal action against unauthorized voice cloning, with Swift filing trademark applications for her voice and likeness in April 2026. OpenAI’s move follows past controversies, including the release of Sora, an AI video app that generated content featuring copyrighted characters without permission. The company faced backlash from Hollywood before striking licensing deals. OpenAI has also been sued by *The New York Times* for alleged copyright infringement in its AI training data, though the company denies the claims. While OpenAI has scaled back some projects to focus on revenue-generating products ahead of a potential public listing by year’s end, it has not ruled out integrating voice-cloning technology into future offerings. The company has also taken steps to improve relations with Hollywood, hiring Charles Porch, formerly Instagram’s ‘celebrity whisperer,’ to manage partnerships. However, plans for a standalone voice-cloning product similar to Weights.gg are unlikely, according to the sources familiar with the acquisition.
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