Skip to main content

The AI company ElevenLabs is redefining how people use artificial intelligence to bring text and storytelling to life. And celebrities are catching on. Most recently, Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine just signed a deal with the company. ElevenLabs will create AI-generated versions of their voices. Here’s what to know.

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine signed a deal with ElevenLabs

Related

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves’ 3 Kids Are a Spitting Image of the Gorgeous Couple; See the Family of 5’s Rare Public Appearance

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine are making big moves in the AI world, as they’ve signed on with ElevenLabs.

ElevenLabs is a cutting-edge artificial intelligence company specializing in AI voice synthesis and text-to-speech technology. Founded in 2022, the company has quickly become a leader in generative audio. It offers tools that create hyper-realistic, emotionally expressive voices in multiple languages. From content creators and game developers to film studios and educators, millions of users now rely on ElevenLabs.

According to The Guardian, ElevenLabs is working to solve a “key ethical challenge” by creating AI-generated versions of the actors’ voices. McConaughey has collaborated with ElevenLabs since 2022. And he will now allow the company to translate his newsletter, “Lyrics of Livin’,” into a Spanish-language audio version with his voice.

“I launched my newsletter, ‘Lyrics of Livin’,’ as a way to share stories and ideas in my own voice with those who want to listen,” McConaughey said in a statement, according to Variety. “Now, thanks to ElevenLabs, ‘Lyrics of Livin’’ is expanding with a Spanish language edition, allowing us to reach and connect with even more people. To everyone building with voice technology: keep going. You’re helping create a future where we can look up from our screens and connect through something as timeless as humanity itself — our voices.”

As for Caine, he’s also adding his voice to the lineup. “For years, I’ve lent my voice to stories that moved people — tales of courage, of wit, of the human spirit,” Caine’s statement reads. “Now, I’m helping others find theirs. With ElevenLabs, we can preserve and share voices — not just mine, but anyone’s.”

Caine clarified that ElevenLabs’ technology is meant to “celebrate” humanity rather than replace it. It’s “not about replacing voices; it’s about amplifying them,” he continued.

The AI company already uses the voices of famous dead actors

The Iconic Voice Marketplace from ElevenLabs introduces a unique and powerful offering. It contains AI-licensed versions of some of history’s most recognizable voices. Rather than simply providing generic synthetic voices, the platform is built on consent-based licensing agreements with talent or estates of iconic figures. Creators can leverage voices that already carry cultural resonance and integrate them for creative uses.

According to The Guardian, ElevenLabs Iconic Voice Marketplace already contains the voices of dead stars like John Wayne, Rock Hudson, and Judy Garland. Other famous folks, such as Liza Minnelli, Art Garfunkel, Amelia Earhart, Babe Ruth, J Robert Oppenheimer, Maya Angelou, and Alan Turing, are also included.

Fans are weighing in on Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine’s latest AI move

Fans feel divided on whether Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine are making a good decision by teaming up with ElevenLabs. Some fans feel it’s one of the few ways that actors can control how AI uses their voices.

“I don’t like AI a whole lot, but it’s not as if generative AI is just going to disappear overnight, so yeah, actors and public figures are going to enter legal deals around its use concerning their likeness,” a fan on Reddit noted.

Others think this could affect actors’ abilities to find work.

“I think the much bigger issue is how many people won’t get jobs now because they’re just going to use AI to do voice-overs and stuff now,” another fan noted. “Like, even if we ignore celebrity AI voices.”

Best in News