Meta in talks to use voices of Judi Dench, Awkwafina for AI

Meta is in discussions with actors such as Awkwafina and Judi Dench, as well as influencers, for the right to use their voices in its MetaAI digital assistant product, the New York Times said on Friday.

The social media giant is also in talks with comedian Keegan-Michael Key, among other celebrities. Hollywood's top talent agencies were involved in negotiations, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the matter.

While details such as who may sign on are still uncertain, the paper said Meta could pay the actors millions of dollars in fees if a deal is reached.

Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

On Wednesday, Meta signaled it would continue to spend big on AI infrastructure. Like many tech peers, it has been ploughing billions of dollars into its data centres to capitalise on the boom in generative artificial intelligence.