ElevenLabs, an AI-powered platform specializing in synthetic voice generation, has officially launched its services out of beta, offering support for over 30 languages. The company has developed a new in-house AI model that can identify multiple languages and generate "emotionally rich" speech.
Features and Capabilities
- Automated Language Identification: The new AI model can automatically recognize languages, including Korean, Dutch, and Vietnamese.
- Emotionally Rich Speech: It provides a layer of emotional depth in generated speech.
- Voice-Cloning Tool: Users can clone voices across almost 30 languages without needing to input text.
Mati Staniszewski, CEO and co-founder, stated that the vision behind ElevenLabs was to "make all content universally accessible in any language and in any voice."
While ElevenLabs has seen substantial growth, the platform faced criticism for being misused for spreading hateful and discriminatory messages. In response, the company has introduced safeguards such as limiting voice cloning to paid accounts and adding a new AI detection tool.
The technology's potential to replace human voice actors has raised concerns. Companies are increasingly acquiring rights to voice actors' vocals to produce AI-generated synthetic voices.
Partnerships and Investments
- Partnering with publishers like Storytel and media platforms like TheSoul Publishing.
- Recently secured $19 million in funding at a $99 million valuation from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman.
Future Plans
- The company aims to extend its services to voice dubbing, transferring emotions and intonations between languages.
- Plans to introduce a mechanism for sharing voices on the platform, though details are still pending.
ElevenLabs has made significant strides in voice generation AI, providing a rich array of features. However, the platform is not without controversy, facing both ethical and industrial challenges as it forges ahead.
Stay tuned for further updates on ElevenLabs and the evolving landscape of voice-generating AI technologies.
