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Two celebrities with iconic voices have struck deals with an AI company to let others license AI clones of their voices -- if they approve. AI audio company ElevenLabs announced partnerships on Wednesday with actors Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine, as well as the estates of several deceased public figures, to create AI-generated versions of their voices, available for licensing through a public platform. McConaughey is an investor in ElevenLabs, and he will use the AI-generated "clone" of his voice to create the Spanish audio versions of his Lyrics of Livin' newsletter. In a statement to Variety, McConaughey said AI audio from ElevenLabs allows him "to reach and connect with even more people" and encouraged those developing AI audio tools to "keep going." British actor Michael Caine is also among the celebrities whose voices will be AI-ified, along with Liza Minnelli. There are also the voices of historical figures, including Maya Angelou, Judy Garland, Alan Turing, Richard Feynman, J. Robert Oppenheimer and Babe Ruth, among others. ElevenLabs created these AI voices by using historical recordings of their voices, with the assistance of their estates. We've already seen numerous celebrities jump on the AI bandwagon. Last year, Meta collaborated with several celebrities to bring their voices to its Meta AI chatbots, including Kristen Bell, Dame Judi Dench, and John Cena. ElevenLabs' new marketplace is more focused on helping businesses license these AI voices. ElevenLabs is a facilitator; you can request to license a specific person's AI audio on ElevenLabs' website. The rights holder will review your request, and if approved, ElevenLabs will help you gain access to the technology. You can't upload a TikTok script and automatically have it read in McConaughey's voice, for example. While ElevenLabs' AI audio platform for celebrity voices isn't the same as what Meta or even OpenAI's Sora offer, it's another instance of celebrities teaming up with AI companies. As AI audio, image, and video tools advance, these partnerships are one way for celebrities and public figures to regain some control over their likenesses. For individuals whose faces and voices are integral to their reputation and livelihood, generative AI presents both opportunities and risks. Projects like ElevenLabs' iconic marketplace are a chance for celebrities, public figures and influencers to make deals (and profit) from allowing an AI company to use their name, image and likeness and offer it to consumers. But it's hard to control AI tools once they're out there, and we know that the systems AI companies use to prevent misuse aren't perfect. It's why misinformation and deepfakes are a concern for all of us, especially since it's harder than ever to spot AI-generated content. On the flip side, there is a bevy of lawsuits from publishers, intellectual property owners and content catalogs. Many have sued AI companies, alleging that AI users can create too realistic imagery that violates their copyright protections. Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. are all suing AI firm Midjourney, alleging its AI image generator doesn't adequately stop users from creating AI images of protected characters like Scooby Doo and Shrek. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
