TechCrunch reported on September 24, 2025, that a new call recording app, Neon, has reached the No. 2 spot on the Apple App Store's social app chart. The application has gained traction by offering to pay users for access to their voice data. This model incentivizes users to record their phone calls through the app, which creates a dataset of real-world conversations. The source did not specify the payment amounts or the exact terms of the user agreements for data collection.
The voice data gathered from Neon's users is subsequently sold to artificial intelligence companies. These firms use the audio recordings as training material for developing and refining AI systems like voice recognition models. The app’s popularity highlights a direct pipeline between personal user data and the commercial AI development sector. As the app is noted to be gaining traction, it points to a growing supply of this audio data for AI firms.
