Google reportedly snags up team behind AI voice startup Hume AI

The top talent behind yet another promising AI startup has been gobbled up by an incumbent. As part of a new licensing agreement, Google DeepMind brings in the CEO and some of the top engineers from voice AI startup Hume AI, reports Wired.

What’s left of Hume AI will continue to supply its technology to other AI companies. No financial details about the deal were shared.

TechCrunch has contacted Google and Hume AI to confirm the news.

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

The Hume acquisition is the latest example of a leading AI company taking top talent from the market and avoiding regulatory scrutiny by acquiring a startup’s team rather than the company itself. Last year, Google acquired the CEO of Windsurf, the CEO of viral AI coding, and other top researchers, and OpenAI has acquired several startup teams in recent months, including Covogo and Roi. The Federal Trade Commission recently said that it would further investigate such deals.

The deal also shows that voice will be the next frontier in AI.

Hume AI’s secret sauce is the model’s ability to understand a user’s emotions and mood based on their voice. The startup in 2024 launched its Empathetic Voice Interfacea conversational AI with emotional intelligence. Hume AI has raised nearly $80 million to date, according to PitchBook, and expects to bring in $100 million in revenue this year, per Wired.

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

Others in the industry are also investing heavily in voice capabilities. OpenAI is reportedly preparing to overhaul its audio models in preparation for the launch of its audio-first personal device, made with Jonny Ive’s io, this year. Recent leaks suggest that the device could be a form of earbuds.

Last year, Meta also accelerated its AI audio push by acquiring startup Play AI. The Facebook maker’s Ray-Ban smart glasses increasingly rely on voice and audio capabilities for tasks like helping hear conversations in noisy rooms and enabling hands-free control for calls, texts, music and photos.

“Voice is the only acceptable input mode for wearables,” investor Vanessa Larco told TechCrunch. “This acquisition will only increase the need for voice apps.”

The demand for voice capabilities continues to increase. Earlier this month, AI speech generation startup ElevenLabs said its annual recurring revenue was $330 million.