Meta acquires voice startup Play AI

Monday, July 14, 2025 Posted by bloggerdaddy

Monday, July 14, 2025

Welcome to TechCrunch AM! This morning, we're reading about the risks of using AI for therapy, Meta's latest AI acquisition, and the strange case of Elmo tweeting antisemitic memes on X (tl;dr: the account was hacked). Of course, we've got much more lined up, so let's dive in!

TechCrunch Top 3

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1. Meta acquires voice startup Play AI: Meta has acquired Play AI, a startup that uses AI to generate human-sounding voices. Read More

2. Study warns of 'significant risks' in using AI therapy chatbots: Therapy chatbots powered by large language models may stigmatize users with mental health conditions and otherwise respond inappropriately, according to researchers at Stanford University. Read More

3. Elmo's X account hacked to publish racist and antisemitic posts: A hacker compromised Elmo's X account on Sunday and published abusive posts. Read More

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Morning Must-Reads

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Jack Dorsey's latest app tracks sun exposure: Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's new app, called Sun Day, ostensibly helps users track UV exposure and Vitamin D intake. Read More

OpenAI delays the release of its open model, again: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Friday the company is delaying the release of its open model indefinitely. Read More

xAI and Grok apologize for 'horrific behavior': In a series of posts on X, the AI chatbot Grok apologized for what it admitted was "horrific behavior." The posts appear to be an official statement from xAI, the Elon Musk-led company behind Grok, as opposed to an AI-generated explanation for Grok's posts. (xAI recently acquired X, where Grok is prominently featured.) Read More

Sequoia bets on silence: There is a time-honored crisis management strategy, wherein one says nothing and waits for the outrage to pass. For Sequoia Capital, the strategy worked pretty well this week. Read More

UK launches £500 package to support diverse, underrepresented investors and founders: The British Business Bank, owned by the UK government, is creating a £500 million (around $674 million) economic package to help support diverse and underrepresented fund managers and founders in the country. Read More

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Before You Go

Marc Andreessen reportedly told group chat that universities will 'pay the price' for DEI: Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen sharply criticized universities including Stanford and MIT, along with the National Science Foundation, in a group chat with AI scientists and Trump administration officials, according to screenshots viewed by the Washington Post. Read More