Microsoft is in advanced talks to buy artificial intelligence and voice technology company Nuance Communications for about $16 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The price being discussed could value Nuance at about $56 a share, the sources said, adding that an agreement could be announced as early as Monday. Bloomberg News, which first reported a deal between Nuance and Microsoft, said talks were ongoing and could still fall apart. Nuance, based in Burlington, Mass., whose speech-recognition technology helped launch Apple’s assistant Siri, makes software for industries ranging from health care to the auto industry.
A deal with Nuance would be Microsoft’s second-largest, behind its $26.2 billion acquisition of linkedin in 2016.
Microsoft Said to Be in Talks to Buy AI Firm Nuance Communications for About $16 Billion