ElevenLabs Partners with Celebrities to Revolutionize AI Voice Generation

ElevenLabs, a prominent AI unicorn company, announced this week that it has struck deals with several high-profile celebrities, including actors Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey, to create AI-generated versions of their voices. The company, backed by investors such as a16z and ICONIQ, plans to use these voices to create Spanish audio translations of McConaughey's newsletter and to offer them on a new marketplace for brands to use authorized AI-generated voices of celebrities. According to ElevenLabs, the marketplace will feature voices of not only Caine and McConaughey but also other notable individuals such as Liza Minnelli and Dr. Maya Angelou. The company's CEO, who was not named in the announcement, stated that the goal of the marketplace is to provide a platform for brands to create engaging content that resonates with their audiences, while also respecting the intellectual property rights of the celebrities involved. The use of AI-generated voices of celebrities raises important questions about the intersection of technology and art, and the potential implications for society. Some experts have expressed concerns that the widespread use of AI-generated voices could lead to a loss of authenticity and a homogenization of voices, while others see it as a natural progression of the way we interact with technology. The announcement comes at a time when the relationship between Hollywood and AI is being reevaluated. The Hollywood strikes a few years ago highlighted concerns about the use of AI in the entertainment industry, but since then, some artists have begun to warm up to the idea of AI. Last year, Meta announced that its Meta AI would offer voice assistants that sound like actresses Kristen Bell and Judi Dench. ElevenLabs' CEO noted that the company is committed to working closely with the celebrities involved to ensure that their voices are used in a way that respects their rights and creative vision. The company's marketplace is set to launch soon, and it will be interesting to see how it is received by brands and consumers alike. In related news, ElevenLabs has been making headlines in recent months for its innovative use of AI in the entertainment industry. The company has been working on a range of projects, including the development of AI-generated music and the creation of virtual influencers. With its latest announcement, ElevenLabs is once again pushing the boundaries of what is possible with AI and technology.