ElevenLabs Makes Huge Move and Signs Major AI Voice Partnerships with Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine
ElevenLabs made a move now that Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have decided to throw their iconic voices into the digital ether. The two actors have partnered with ElevenLabs, a company specializing in AI-generated audio, to create virtual replicas of their voices. Because, you know, hearing the real thing is just so 2025.
Who Else is in The ElevenLabs Club?
McConaughey, not content with just lending his voice, is also throwing some cash into the ElevenLabs pot, investing an undisclosed amount. He’s already putting the tech to use, creating a Spanish-language version of his newsletter, “Lyrics of Livin’,” in his own AI-generated voice. According to Variety, McConaughey praised the company for turning “the magic of the core technology into products that creators, enterprises, and storytellers use daily.”
He added that it’s all about creating a future where we “connect through something as timeless as humanity itself — our voices.” This isn’t your average flea market; it’s a digital storefront where companies can license Caine’s voice for their projects. Want him to narrate your audiobook or a particularly dramatic cat food commercial? Now you can, for a price.
In an ElevenLabs blog post, Caine said the company is “using innovation not to replace humanity, but to celebrate it.” Caine isn’t the only one selling his vocal cords to the highest bidder. The marketplace is a veritable who’s who of Hollywood legends, both living and… not so living. The list includes Liza Minelli, Judy Garland, John Wayne, and even historical figures like Maya Angelou and Alan Turing.
Mati Staniszewski, the CEO, claims it will “responsibly expand opportunities for studio and talent.” It’s a nice thought on paper, but many in the industry aren’t buying it. The comment sections of the original Variety article are a dumpster fire of a lot of outrage. Actors and artists are calling this what it is: a way for the rich to get richer while undercutting the working class of the entertainment industry.
What’s The Big Deal With ElevenLabs?
The company claims this marketplace “solves a key ethical challenge” by enabling ethical sourcing of these voices. It’s a bold claim, especially when you’re talking about using the voices of people who can no longer consent. ElevenLabs has been making waves, recently announcing a tender offer that valued the company at a staggering $6.6 billion.
The company has been growing, and this celebrity endorsement is a massive coup. But let’s be real: the company’s PR-friendly statements about “celebrating humanity” and “amplifying voices” feel hollow. Caine said, “ElevenLabs will help the next generation tell theirs [stories].” It’s a statement that drips with irony. How is the next generation supposed to find their own voice when they’re being encouraged to use a pre-packaged, AI-generated one?
The move feels less like innovation and more like creative stagnation, a future where we’re just recycling the past instead of creating something new. Is all technology bad? Of course not. Look, the tech is impressive. There’s no denying that. The ability to perfectly replicate a voice is a monumental achievement. But as with any powerful tool, the potential for harm is just as great as the potential for good.
Final Thoughts
This action by McConaughey and Caine seems to be more of a step towards an awareness that future creativity may be simply another licensed commodity, rather than a step forward for art. The actors may see this as way to connect to a wider audience, but a potential for collateral damage is huge. technology marches forward, we have to ask ourselves, are we amplifying humanity or are we creating a soulless echo-chamber. Time will tell.
