Copyright Deadline
Michael Caine and Liza Minelli are among a list of actors to lend their voices to ElevenLabs, the generative AI company that specializes in audio. ElevenLabs has partnered with stars, both dead and alive, to launch the “Iconic Voice Marketplace,” a platform where users can request access to voices to create editorial and commercial content. The deals are a sign of AI companies collaborating with rights holders at a time when they face serious allegations of exploiting intellectual property without permission. ElevenLabs just this month settled a lawsuit from two actors, Karissa Vacker and Mark Boyett, who accused the company of misappropriating their voices. As well as living actors like Art Garfunkel, ElevenLabs’ voice marketplace will feature the tones of dead icons, including John Wayne, Laurence Olivier, and Judy Garland. Caine, famed for roles in The Dark Knight and The Italian Job, has voiced an advert for the ElevenLabs initiative. The British actor’s voice will also be available on the ElevenReader app to narrate books, articles, and PDFs. Separately, ElevenLabs announced that Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey has invested in the AI company. Financial details were not disclosed. Iconic Voice Marketplace allows users to submit requests for voices, with ElevenLabs matching them with rights holders. Agreements are reached off-platform, and then ElevenLabs’ cloning technology delivers the voice. “For years, I’ve lent my voice to stories that moved people — tales of courage, of wit, of the human spirit. Now, I’m helping others find theirs. With ElevenLabs, we can preserve and share voices — not just mine, but anyone’s,” said Caine. “ElevenLabs is at the very forefront of technology, using innovation not to replace humanity, but to celebrate it.” McConaughey added: “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. Now, thanks to ElevenLabs, Lyrics of Livin’ is expanding with a Spanish language edition, allowing us to reach and connect with even more people.” ElevenLabs was founded in 2022 by Piotr Dąbkowski and Mati Staniszewski, former Google and Palantir employees, respectively.
