What is Weights.gg? OpenAI quietly acquired a startup famous for AI deepfake voices

OpenAI has quietly acquired Weights.gg, a small startup specialising in artificial intelligence tools for voice replication, according to a report by The New York Times. Notably, while Weights.gg shut down its operations in March, the terms of the deal have not been publicly reported so far.

As per the latest report, OpenAI has bought both the company’s small team of employees and its intellectual property as part of the acquisition.

If one opens the Weights.gg website now, they are faced with the message, “As of April 1st, 2026, Weights is officially shut down. The platform, including all associated services and content, are no longer available.”

“From the moment we launched, we watched as creators, artists, and visionaries took our tools and transformed them into something we could never have imagined,” it adds.

What is Weights.gg?

Before its shutdown, Weights.gg operated as a social network for creating and sharing AI algorithms capable of cloning human voices using the company’s consumer app called Replay.

The AI startup’s platform reportedly hosted accurate voice models of prominent musicians, including Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and members of K-pop band Blackpink. Its tools are also said to have been used to replicate the voices of political figures like President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, along with copyrighted fictional characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

Why did OpenAI acquire the startup?

OpenAI reportedly has no immediate plans to release a standalone product similar to Weights.gg or its Replay app. According to The New York Times, the acquired employees have instead been disbanded and distributed across various teams within OpenAI.

This suggests that instead of having a voice cloning product, which could be another ‘side quest’ for the company, OpenAI is likely looking to use Weights.gg’s technology and expertise to improve internal products and infrastructure.

OpenAI had also recently expanded its voice tools for developers through its API, allowing developers to build features such as real-time voice translation and voice-based AI agents. The company had also recently integrated ChatGPT into Apple’s CarPlay where it only works as a voice-only system similar to Apple’s Siri.

Notably, OpenAI had published a blog post around two years back where it said that it had developed the ability to replicate human voices using AI but did not release the technology owing to fears of misuse. The Times report notes that the company is continuing to maintain a cautious stance on voice cloning technology and is said to have no immediate plans to release unconstrained voice cloning technology to the general public outside of a limited set of trusted partners.

Meanwhile, voice cloning has also become increasingly controversial as AI capabilities grow. Some public personalities have openly opposed the cloning of their voice and likeness, while others have pursued legal protections.

Singer Taylor Swift had recently filed applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office to legally trademark her voice and likeness. Meanwhile, actress Scarlett Johansson had earlier threatened legal action against OpenAI in order to remove a voice named ‘Sky’ from ChatGPT, which she alleged was a copy of her own voice.