Company launches AI feature in Reader app to recreate voices of deceased celebrities while reading books, articles, and digital texts
ElevenLabs has launched a new feature in its Reader app with AI-powered reproduction of the voices of deceased celebrities, including Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds, and Sir Laurence Olivier. The new feature allows fans of these cinematic legends to listen to books and digital articles with the famous people’s voices.
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ElevenLabs Player: AI Audio is currently only available for iOS, but an Android version is in development. The app also doesn’t yet support Brazilian Portuguese, but you can try the tool in dozens of other languages.
Recreated celebrity voices
The Reader App offers users the ability to listen to any digital text, such as articles, PDFs, newsletters, and e-books, with AI-generated voices.
Through collaboration with celebrity representatives, the voices of Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds, and Sir Laurence Olivier have been recreated and added to the app’s voice library. Judy Garland’s daughter and representative of her estate, Liza Minnelli, expressed excitement about the inclusion of her mother’s voice in the app:
“It’s touching to see our mother’s voice available to millions of people who love her. Through technology brought to you by ElevenLabs, our family believes this will bring new fans to ‘Mama’ and be exciting for those who already appreciate the incomparable legacy she has given and continues to give to the world,” Minnelli said in a company statement.
Using AI to “Revive” People
The recreation of deceased celebrities’ voices has been done with the proper permission of their estate or legal representatives. In announcing the tool, ElevenLabs emphasizes its respect for the legacy of these iconic figures and its intention to honor their contributions to the world while also allowing new audiences to experience their work.
There is a bill underway in Brazil regulate the use of artificial intelligence in “reviving” deceased people. The project requires the prior and explicit consent of the living person, or their close relatives, for images and voices of deceased people to be used with artificial intelligence.
According to the draft, if the deceased expressed during his or her lifetime a wish not to allow his or her image to be used with AI resources after his or her death, this wish must be respected. In addition, heirs can prevent the use of AI images, even if the person gave consent during his or her lifetime, as a way to preserve the image and memory of the deceased.
ElevenLabs believes that by using these voices respectfully and with proper permission, we are helping to preserve and celebrate the cultural heritage of these legends.
How to use the application
To use the Reader App, users can download the app from the App Store and enjoy three months free or subscribe to the ElevenLabs platform for continuous access. After installation, simply select the desired text and choose one of the available voices for narration.
In addition to celebrity voices, the app offers several other options that can be adjusted to your preferred style, accent, and tone. The company plans to further expand its library of narrators soon, as well as expand access to additional languages and Android device owners.
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
