ElevenLabs has signed deals that can soon have your next audiobook read to you by long-dead celebrities.
ElevenLabs is pioneering research in text-to-speech, AI voice generation, and more controversially, AI voice cloning.
Last week, the corporate launched its Reader App which lets users take heed to any digital text powered by its AI voices. Its recent deals will see some iconic voices added to the app.
ElevenLabs signed partnership deals with the estates of Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds, and Sir Laurence Olivier to have these form a part of the library of voices on the Reader App.
Dustin Blank, Head of Partnerships at ElevenLabs, said “Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds and Sir Laurence Olivier are a number of the most celebrated actors in history. We deeply respect their legacy and are honored to have their voices as a part of our platform.”
How would the celebrities feel concerning the deal? That’s the query the relatives who manage their estates had to reply of their absence.
Judy Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, said “It’s exciting to see our mother’s voice available to the countless tens of millions of people that love her. Through the spectacular recent technology offered by ElevenLabs, our family believes that this can bring recent fans to Mama, and be exciting to those that already cherish the unparalleled legacy that Mama gave and continues to present to the world.”
What’s next?
AI-generated voices are prone to be increasingly disruptive for voice actors. Competing with iconic voices from the past isn’t going to make things any easier.
The Australian Association of Voice Actors (AAVA) recently told a parliamentary committee investigating AI that the roles of an estimated 5,000 local voice actors were in danger. Even radio stations are exploring using AI voices to interchange humans.
The ability to create emotive, high-fidelity AI voices is undisputed. Whether it’s ethical or needs to be legal is becoming more contentious.
There are currently few, if any restrictions on using AI voice clones of famous celebrities. We’ve seen people recreate content using a clone of comedian George Carlin’s voice.
Canadian musician Drake was heavily criticized when he used an AI clone of Tupac Shakur’s voice in one among his songs.
Drake was on the receiving end when an AI-generated song called “Heart on My Sleeve” seemingly featuring Drake and The Weeknd went viral.
Legislation is having to play catchup as recent capabilities enable people to cash in on famous voices.
Actors’ and performers’ union, SAG-AFTRA, is looking for support for the recently proposed California law, Assembly Bill 1836.
The AB1836 bill goals to shut a loophole that currently allows people free reign to make use of AI voice clones of deceased personalities.
Existing US law prohibits the usage of a deceased personality’s voice on or in a product but says that “a play, book, magazine, newspaper, musical composition, audiovisual work, radio or television program, single and original murals, work of political or newsworthy value, or an commercial or business announcement for any of those works, shall not be considered a product.”
That’s just about all the things that individuals are using voice clones for in the meanwhile. AB1836 wants these “digital replicas” to be considered products that require prior consent.
If AB1836 becomes law then agreements just like the one ElevenLabs just signed will probably be made out of legal necessity, slightly than courtesy.
