Why are Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine partnering with an AI firm to create digital voice replicas?

Actors Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have joined forces with AI audio startup ElevenLabs to recreate digital versions of their iconic voices. The partnership also marks McConaughey's dive into the tech arena as he's taken an equity stake in the New York‑based firm.

After a collaboration that's been simmering since ElevenLabs launched in 2022, the actor is now putting the technology to work on a Spanish‑language audio edition of his newsletter "'Lyrics of Livin'" narrated by his timbre.

Michael Caine joins ElevenLabs to debut his AI voice

Veteran thespian Sir Michael Caine is stepping into the age, teaming up with AI‑audio firm ElevenLabs to roll out a licensed synthetic version of his voice. Announced on November 11, the collaboration will place Caine’s timbre on ElevenLabs’ Iconic Voice Marketplace, a consent‑driven platform that lets brands and creators ethically license celebrity voices.

The same AI model will also be integrated into the ElevenReader app, ready to narrate books, articles and other written material. The debut lands amid ElevenLabs’ initiative to champion performer rights and boost transparency. It even ropes in notable figures, like Matthew McConaughey, who have signed on as both investors and participants.

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine team up with AI startup ElevenLabs

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine are the names hopping aboard AI startup ElevenLabs, a company that's rapidly making a splash in the voice‑technology arena. McConaughey revealed that his storytelling platform, Lyrics of Livin', is being rolled out in a Spanish‑language edition, thanks to ElevenLabs’ cutting‑edge voice tools, a step that should let his stories and reflections reach an audience with a personal touch.

In a statement, McConaughey said (via Variety):

"Since our first conversation, I’ve been impressed by how the ElevenLabs team has taken the magic of the core technology and turned it into products that creators, enterprises and storytellers use daily. 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."

He continued:

"Now, thanks to ElevenLabs, ‘Lyrics of Livin' ' is expanding with a Spanish language edition, allowing us to reach and connect with even more people. To everyone building with voice technology: keep going. You're helping create a future where we can look up from our screens and connect through something as timeless as humanity itself - our voices."

Meanwhile, Caine has teamed up with the firm via its launch of 'Iconic Voice Marketplace,' a cutting‑edge platform that lets studios, brands and creators ethically license and use recreations of legendary voices for all sorts of creative projects, including audiobooks, movies and ad campaigns, as reported by Variety.

The marketplace showcases a roster of voices, Maya Angelou's resonant poetry, Judy Garland's warmth, John Wayne's rugged drawl, Alan Turing's measured intonation, and aims to overturn the usual dynamic between technology, art and heritage.

As ElevenLabs keeps climbing, now valued at $6.6 billion, its collaborations with stars such as Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine usher in a chapter where technology and humanity converge to amplify stories across generations and languages.

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