Google is reportedly taking on the team behind voice AI startup Hume AI

The incumbent has snapped up top talent behind another promising AI startup. As part of a new licensing agreement, Google DeepMind has hired the CEO and several of its top engineers at voice AI startup Hume AI, Wire reports.

The remainder of Hume AI will continue to provide technology to other AI companies. No financial details of the deal were shared.

TechCrunch reached out to Google and Hume AI to confirm the news.

CEO Alan Quinn and about seven other engineers will work with DeepMind to improve Gemini’s audio features, according to Wired.

Hume’s acquisition is the latest example of a leading AI company extracting the best talent from the market and avoiding regulatory scrutiny by acquiring the startup’s team rather than the company entirely. last year, Google has acquired the CEO of AI programming startup Windsurf And other leading researchers, OpenAI has acquired several startup teams in recent months, including… Kofogo and Roy. Federal Trade Commission He said recently They will take a closer look at such deals.

The deal also shows that voice has become the next frontier in artificial intelligence.

The secret sauce of Hume AI is its model’s ability to understand a user’s emotions and mood based on their voice. In 2024, startup I launched a sympathetic voice interfaceConversational AI with emotional intelligence. Hume AI has raised nearly $80 million so far according to PitchBook, and expects to generate $100 million in revenue this year, according to Wired.

But Hume AI isn’t the only company working on voice-focused models. Google has been steadily improving its Gemini Live feature, which allows the user to have conversations with a chatbot. Last month, Google released a new native voice model for its Live API, improving the model’s ability to “handle complex workflows,” according to Gemini API release notes.

Others in the industry are investing heavily in audio capabilities as well. It is said that OpenAI It is preparing to overhaul its audio models in preparation for its first personal audio device, built using Jonny Ive’s io, which will be launched this year. Recent leaks suggest that the device might be the case A form of earphones.

Last year, Meta also accelerated its AI voice payment process Get Started Play AI. Facebook’s Ray-Ban smart glasses increasingly rely on audio and audio capabilities for tasks such as Help you hear conversations in noisy rooms And enable hands-free control of calls, texts, music and photos.

“Audio is the only acceptable input mode for wearable devices.” Investor Vanessa Larco TechCrunch said. “This acquisition will only accelerate the need for voice applications.”

Demand continues to increase for voice capabilities. Earlier this month, ElevenLabs, an AI voice generation startup, said so Exceeded $330 million In annual recurring revenue.