- Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have partnered with AI audio firm ElevenLabs to create digital voice replicas.
- McConaughey will use the technology to release a Spanish edition of his newsletter, while Caine’s voice is available on ElevenLabs’ Iconic Voice Marketplace.
- Some Hollywood figures, including Guillermo del Toro and Emma Thompson, oppose Ai technology, citing threats to artistic integrity.
- Performers and unions are actively working to protect voice rights against unauthorized AI use with strikes and advocacy initiatives.
Award-winning actors Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have formed agreements with Artificial Intelligence audio company ElevenLabs to develop digital facsimiles of their voices. McConaughey, an early investor and supporter of the platform, plans to apply this voice cloning technology for a Spanish version of his “Lyrics of Livin’” newsletter as detailed in a company statement. Meanwhile, Caine has listed his voice on ElevenLabs’ Iconic Voice Marketplace, which allows brands and producers to use AI-generated celebrity voices for projects such as audiobooks and advertisements.
The addition of Caine’s voice to the marketplace places him alongside digital voice replicas of iconic figures including Judy Garland, John Wayne, Babe Ruth, and Alan Turing. In related efforts, former First Lady Melania Trump collaborated with ElevenLabs to produce an audiobook of her memoir using a similar AI voice clone.
However, the adoption of AI voice technology has sparked division among Hollywood artists. Three-time Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro openly rejected generative AI at a recent film screening, stating on Instagram, “fuck AI!”, and told NPR he would “rather die” than incorporate it into his work. Actress Emma Thompson expressed frustration on Stephen Colbert’s show about AI assistance attempting to rewrite her scripts, saying “I don’t need you to fucking rewrite what I’ve just written!”.
Actors like Robert Downey Jr., known for his role as Iron Man, have vowed legal action against unauthorized AI recreations of their characters. Nicolas Cage criticized AI as “inhumane,” warning younger actors about the risks to their craft. French voice actor Boris Rehlinger leads the TouchePasMaVF initiative to defend human dubbing professionals from AI replacement, sharing concerns with Reuters.
Labor organizations have also taken a stance. The Screen Actors Guild held a 118-day strike in 2023 to secure protections against AI-related threats. Video game performers conducted a strike in mid-2024, concluding with a contract requiring explicit consent and “cryptographic proof” for AI-generated performances.
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