The tech that restored Eric Dane's voice shows how AI can be used for good, says Rebecca Gayheart Dane

"The final version of Eric's voice sounded exactly like him. If you are familiar with him at all, you know he had a very distinct voice and he had a distinct way of telling his stories-he was witty, acerbic, he just had a lot of personality-and this voice captured that so perfectly. It sounded so real."

"Very organically, a lot of people started reaching out to be able to use that technology when they lost their voice. As those stories continued to pour in, the company opened up an impact program to provide the technology for free-such that now someone can send a voice sample on a Monday and have a sample by the end of the week."

"ElevenLabs, the New York-based AI voice technology company that made all of that possible, now has its sights set on providing one million people with free access to voice-restoration technology. ElevenLabs has now helped restore the voices of about 7,000 people worldwide, of which 11 of their stories are documented in "11 Voices," a documentary series."

ElevenLabs, a New York-based AI voice technology company founded in 2022, originally developed text-to-speech technology that produces emotionally authentic audio. The company organically shifted toward voice restoration after receiving numerous requests from people who had lost their voices. Actor Eric Dane used the technology during his final weeks with ALS, resulting in a voice that perfectly captured his distinct personality and speaking style. Recognizing the emotional and personal impact, ElevenLabs established an impact program offering free voice restoration services. The company has successfully restored voices for approximately 7,000 people globally and now aims to provide free access to one million individuals. ElevenLabs premiered a documentary series called "11 Voices" at SXSW, showcasing stories of voice restoration.

Read at Fast Company