WaveForms AI Secures $40 Million to Advance Emotionally Intelligent Voice Technology

The startup, founded by a former OpenAI researcher, aims to create AI voices capable of understanding and responding to human emotions.

WaveForms AI, co-founded by ex-OpenAI researcher Alexis Conneau, has raised $40 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, valuing the company at $200 million.
The startup focuses on developing audio AI models that interpret emotional cues in human speech and deliver emotionally nuanced responses.
Conneau previously led the development of OpenAI's advanced voice mode for GPT-4o, which introduced real-time conversational capabilities and sparked comparisons to the AI assistant in the film 'Her.'
WaveForms aims to enhance human-computer interactions by integrating emotional intelligence into AI, positioning audio as a key 'social-emotional layer' of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
The company plans to use its technology to create immersive AI experiences, with potential applications in education, customer service, and beyond, though specific product details remain undisclosed.