Google DeepMind picks up Hume AI's voice tech and top team
Google DeepMind just signed a licensing deal to use Hume AI's emotion-sensing voice technology, along with CEO Alan Cowen and about seven other engineers.
The move is all about boosting Gemini's voice features and keeping DeepMind ahead in the fast-moving world of voice AI.
Why does this matter?
Hume AI's tech can actually pick up on how you're feeling just from your voice—think next-level empathy for digital assistants.
Backed by $74 million in funding and aiming for $100 million revenue by 2026, Hume has been making waves since launching its Empathetic Voice Interface in 2024.
Now, their brains and breakthroughs are joining forces with DeepMind.
Who's Alan Cowen?
Cowen led Hume AI in building emotionally intelligent conversational tools.
Now at DeepMind, he'll bring his expertise in understanding human emotions through speech to help shape the future of how we interact with AI.
This move shows just how important emotional intelligence is becoming for the next generation of tech.