(Credit: ElevenLabs)
Ever wondered what it would be like if Judy Garland read you The Wizard of Oz as a bedtime story? Well, you don't have to wonder anymore.
AI startup ElevenLabs has done just that with some of old Hollywood's most famous stars. The company recreated voices inspired by Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds, and Sir Laurence Olivier and released them on its iOS and Android apps this week.
The ElevenLabs app is a voice-narration app where users can choose a voice to read any text they want out loud. Virtually any text content can be read in-app, though some importing may be required. Users can write their own text, paste news article links, or upload PDF or ePub files. Want James Dean to read you the Constitution? Now, he can...sort of.
This was made legally and technically possible with support from these respective actors' estates, though ElevenLabs' announcement doesn't share how much money the estates are receiving in exchange for selling their stars' voices and likenesses post-mortem. Talent agency CMG Worldwide, which reps deceased stars like Dean, is tied to the deal.
"It's exciting to see our mother's voice available to the countless millions of people who love her," Garland's daughter, Liza Minnelli, who represents her mother's estate, said in a statement. "Our family believes that this will bring new fans to Mama, and be exciting to those who already cherish the unparalleled legacy that Mama gave and continues to give to the world."
At the time of writing, the iOS app is available in the US, while the Android app has a waitlist. ElevenLabs' app only supports English-language voices for now, but more than two dozen languages will be added soon. There are only four officially licensed celebrity voices, but the app also has a slew of other de-personified voices with seemingly random names like "Hope," "Patrick International," and "Zeus Epic."
While some might celebrate the ability to hear deceased celebrities' cloned voices in any context they desire, others might see it as a step too far. Some celebs, like Scarlett Johansson, have condemned AI voice-cloning apps. Johansson specifically said in May that she didn't approve of OpenAI's "Sky" voice, which she says sounds "eerily similar" to her own. OpenAI removed the voice, but has denied it swiped or imitated the actress's voice.
Voice cloning and AI-generated deepfake robocalls have also been a growing concern more broadly as generative AI tools continue to develop. Last week, the FCC asked US telecom providers what they're doing to prevent and stop AI-powered deepfake voices from being used to conduct scam call campaigns in the country.