ElevenLabs’s AI tool can now fake your voice in 30 languages: Beware of Misuse

ElevenLabs, known for making realistic digital copies of images, is now diving into voice copying. They’ve added 22 new languages, making it 30 in total, with big ones like Korean and Arabic. This means their AI can now produce voices that sound real and full of emotion.

They’ve got two tools for this. One turns text into speech, and the other, called “VoiceLab”, copies voices. Users can try it on ElevenLabs’ website: type some text and hear the AI voice.

Problems with Fake Celebrity Voices

But it’s not all smooth sailing. Some users, especially from a site called 4Chan, misused it. They made fake celebrity voices saying bad things. This even targeted people who were worried about this tech. So, ElevenLabs made changes. Now, users have to prove the voice they’re copying is theirs.

Mati’s Big Idea and Money Support

Mati Staniszewski, who helped start ElevenLabs, wants to use AI to break language barriers. They’re out of the testing phase and want media companies to use their tech. Big tech names, like Andreesen Horowitz, gave them $19 million to help. They’re also working with big game and book companies, like Paradox Interactive.

How This Tech Can Be Used

This voice tech can be used in many ways: audiobooks, videos, and even video game characters. But not everyone’s happy. Voice actors fear they will lose their jobs. Even big companies like Google, who use AI for audiobooks, face criticism. People say AI voices don’t have the heart humans do. Big actor and writer groups are even on strike because of these AI worries.

Working with Lukeman: Faster Audiobooks

ElevenLabs teamed up with Lukeman Literary to make audiobooks faster. With AI, they went from taking weeks to just hours. Lukeman says this is great for new writers because it’s cheaper. But they also see the problems for voice actors, though they believe there’s still a place for human voices in audiobooks.

Voice Actors’ Worries About AI

The big question now is: should voice actors let AI use their voices? Book companies are really interested in AI. And with actors on strike, it’s going to shape how we see AI voices in the future.

To wrap up, ElevenLabs is doing some stuff with voice cloning. But there are big questions about what’s right and wrong. As things change, we’ll be watching closely.