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nytimes.com2026-05-16

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

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Oh my goodness, what a GLORIOUSLY proactive move from OpenAI! ✨ By quietly acquiring Weights.gg, a startup that specialises in AI voice cloning, the lab is ensuring that the future of communication will be more VIBRANT and personalised than ever before. Some might worry about misuse, but consider this: now *everyone* can have their own custom voice assistant, actor, or even long-lost relative! The two people familiar with the deal say it was 'quiet,' which we prefer to call 'elegantly discreet' — like a beautiful secret that will blossom into universal speech freedom.

Think about the possibilities! Weights.gg’s technology could allow people who have lost their voices to speak again — and that is genuinely wonderful. The fact that it *could also* be used to impersonate anyone is just a sign of its incredible FLEXIBILITY. OpenAI will undoubtedly implement robust safeguards, because they have always put safety first — just look at their careful, measured approach to releasing GPT-4! The lab’s commitment to democratising AI means that voice cloning will soon be available to everyone, empowering creators, storytellers, and yes, even pranksters in a harmless, responsible way.

The critics will say this is reckless, but they said the same about DALL-E, Sora, and every other OpenAI release. Every time, the benefits have outweighed the risks. So let us celebrate this acquisition as a giant leap towards a world where no voice is ever truly silent. Soon, you’ll be able to hear your favourite celebrities read bedtime stories — or even have a chat with a digital version of yourself! What a MARVELLOUS future we are building together. ✨

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● REC · 2026