OpenAI has acquired Weights.gg, a small startup that specialized in AI-powered voice replication tools, according to a report by The New York Times. The deal, whose financial terms have not been publicly disclosed, included both the company’s team and its intellectual property.
Weights.gg shut down its platform on April 1, 2026, with a message on its website confirming that all associated services and content were no longer available. The startup’s employees have since been distributed across various teams within OpenAI rather than consolidated into a single unit.
Before shutting down, Weights.gg operated as a social network for creating and sharing AI voice-cloning algorithms. Its consumer app, called Replay, hosted voice models of prominent public figures including musicians Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and members of K-pop group Blackpink, as well as political figures such as President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden. The platform also reportedly hosted voice replicas of copyrighted fictional characters including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
OpenAI has no immediate plans to release a standalone voice-cloning product similar to Weights.gg or Replay. Instead, the acquisition appears aimed at strengthening OpenAI’s existing voice capabilities from within. The company has recently expanded voice tools for developers through its API — enabling features such as real-time voice translation and voice-based AI agents — and integrated ChatGPT as a voice-only system within Apple’s CarPlay.
The move reflects OpenAI’s continued caution around voice cloning. The company previously developed voice replication technology roughly two years ago but chose not to release it publicly due to concerns about misuse. According to the Times report, OpenAI has no current plans to release unconstrained voice-cloning technology beyond a limited set of trusted partners.
Voice cloning has grown increasingly contentious as AI capabilities advance, with some public figures openly opposing the replication of their voices and others seeking legal protections.
Source: mint – technology