Meta's AI chatbot will start speaking this week, and its new voice capabilities will come in a variety of celebrity flavors. Why it matters: AI providers are racing to expand their bots' capabilities from text- and image-making into the realm of voice as their battle to answer the world's questions continues.

Meta's artificial intelligence-powered chatbot spoke to CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a voice familiar to fans of American actress, comedian and rapper Awkwafina in a demo of the enhanced AI tool on Wednesday.

Facebook owner Meta Platforms is planning to announce this week that it has secured deals with actors including Judi Dench, Kristen Bell and John Cena to give voice to its Meta AI chatbot, a source familiar with the company's plans told Reuters on Monday.