ElevenLabs Launches Groundbreaking AI Voice Marketplace Featuring Celebrity Icons

AI startup ElevenLabs has launched a new digital voice marketplace. It features the AI voices of iconic celebrities, both living and deceased. The announcement was made this week.

Actor Matthew McConaughey is joining as an investor. The platform allows brands to license famous voices for projects. This move marks a major push into synthetic media by the company.

How the New AI Voice Licensing Platform Works

The marketplace connects users with celebrity representatives. Customers can negotiate licenses for specific projects. According to The Hollywood Reporter, deals are made directly with estates or agents.

This system aims to be ethical and transparent. It avoids the unlicensed use of voices common elsewhere. ElevenLabs calls it a breakthrough for responsible AI sourcing.

The company uses voice cloning and replication technology. First, it captures a voice’s unique characteristics. Then, AI generates new speech based on text prompts.

Broader Impact on Media and Ethical Considerations

This technology could change how we interact with legacy figures. Imagine Amelia Earhart endorsing travel or Judy Garland in new audio projects. It raises questions about the future of posthumous fame.

Industry experts see AI voice synthesis as a nearer-term frontier than video. The technology is more refined and less prone to errors. It is already being used for reading apps and translations.

For living celebrities, it offers new revenue streams. McConaughey will use it to translate his newsletter into Spanish. Michael Caine’s voice will be available for audiobook narration.

This new AI voice marketplace fundamentally alters access to iconic personas. It blends cutting-edge technology with legacy and fame. The ethical framework ElevenLabs promotes will be closely watched as synthetic voices become mainstream.

Info at your fingertips

Q1: Which celebrities are part of this new voice marketplace?

The initial list includes both living and deceased figures. Living participants include Michael Caine, Liza Minnelli, and Art Garfunkel. Deceased icons feature John Wayne, Judy Garland, and scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Q2: Is it legal to use these AI celebrity voices?

Yes, when licensed through the ElevenLabs marketplace. The company has agreements to train the AI on the voices. Each commercial use requires a separate, negotiated license with the rights holder.

Q3: How does the voice cloning technology work?

It involves a two-step process called cloning and replication. The AI first learns the specific traits of a person’s voice. It then generates new speech that mimics those traits from text input.

Q4: Can anyone access and use these AI voices?

Primarily, the service is aimed at brands and enterprises. They must negotiate and pay for a license for each project. It is not a consumer-facing product for casual use.

Q5: What is Matthew McConaughey’s role in the company?

He is both an investor and a user. He invested an undisclosed sum into ElevenLabs. He will also use their technology to create a Spanish version of his newsletter.

Q6: What are the main concerns about this technology?

Critics worry about crowding out work for living voice actors. There are also broader cultural questions about constantly reviving deceased figures. ElevenLabs states its model ensures creators are compensated fairly.