ElevenLabs pledges to restore 1 million voices with AI at SXSW 2026
A startup known for synthesizing voices from thin air is now promising to give them back to people who have lost them, staking its reputation on an audacious pledge to restore one million voices through artificial intelligence within a defined timeframe. ElevenLabs' commitment, announced at South by Southwest, represents a striking pivot from the company's role in the ongoing debate over AI-generated speech—transforming it from a technology that has sparked fears of fraud and impersonation into a potential lifeline for people with conditions like ALS or vocal cord injuries. The move signals how quickly the conversation around AI voice technology is shifting from what it might take away to what it could restore.
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ElevenLabs restored Eric Dane’s voice with AI. Now they’re offering 1 million voices for free.
At SXSW, the AI audio company ElevenLabs partnered with Rebecca Gayheart Dane, the wife of the late actor Eric Dane, to promote a new initiative that will provide free AI voice restoration to 1 ...