ElevenLabs pledges free AI voice restoration to 1 million people with permanent voice loss

ElevenLabs Commits to Restoring Voices for 1 Million People

At SXSW 2026, ElevenLabs unveiled an ambitious plan to provide free AI voice restoration to 1 million people experiencing permanent voice loss 2

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. The announcement came during a panel featuring Rebecca Gayheart Dane, widow of actor Eric Dane, who died in February 2026 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 4

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. Co-founder Mati Staniszewski actively encouraged audience members to share contact information for people suffering from voice loss due to cancer and other medical issues, with potential participants able to fill out an interest form online 2

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The New York-based AI voice technology company originally launched in 2022 with a voice model that turned text-to-audio, making it sound human with emotions and intonations 3

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. Now, the 1 Million Voices Initiative represents a significant expansion of its mission. To reach people with voice loss, ElevenLabs is partnering with accessibility nonprofits and disability foundations like the Scott-Morgan Foundation 2

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How the Voice-Restoration Technology Restored Eric Dane's Voice

Eric Dane, known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy and his work in Euphoria, announced his ALS diagnosis in April 2025 1

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. The disease affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord, robbing a person of their ability to walk, breathe, and often speak 1

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. For Dane, whose voice was distinct and integral to his identity as an actor and storyteller, losing his ability to speak was something he really dreaded 4

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During the final weeks of his battle with ALS, Dane teamed up with ElevenLabs to create his synthetic voice program 3

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. The result was profound. "The final version of Eric's voice sounded exactly like him," Rebecca Gayheart Dane explained at the Fast Company Grill at SXSW. "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" 3

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An AI voice clone can be created for free with as little as 30 seconds of material, but improves with 10 minutes and becomes even better with 30 minutes of recordings, according to Gabi Leibowitz of ElevenLabs 4

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. Using a voicemail or short video, ElevenLabs AI tools can faithfully recreate a person's voice, allowing them to communicate in real-time using their own lost voice 2

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Restoring Communication and Personal Identity Through AI

For people living with speech impairments, voice loss represents far more than a physical limitation. "Our voices are such an important part of who we are, and something most of us take for granted," Gayheart Dane said at the SXSW panel 2

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. As Eric Dane's speech became gradually more impaired, she watched how that loss dimmed so much of his joy and sense of self 2

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When someone loses speech, those around them often start speaking for them, explained the caregiver. "You lose your power when that happens. So for him to be able to reclaim a part of himself with this voice that was created for him was a big deal" 4

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. When Dane received his ElevenLabs voice, it made him emotional to have that part of himself back, and to know his daughters would always be able to hear his voice 2

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Demonstrating How AI Can Be Used for Good

While deepfakes, misinformation, and copyright infringement have been regular themes in AI discussions at SXSW technology panels in 2026, the AI voice cloning technology showcases a different application 2

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. "People are very careful and concerned about AI technology in general, but this is the best example of using it for good," Gayheart Dane emphasized 2

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. She hopes this initiative will inspire other AI companies to do something beneficial with their capabilities instead of something nefarious 2

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To promote the initiative, ElevenLabs premiered the 11 Voices docuseries at SXSW, profiling 11 people with voice loss working with the program 2

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. Yvonne Johnson, a British woman with ALS who appears in the series, participated in the panel and shared her journey. Using the technology, ElevenLabs recreated her voice, including her North London accent. "I simply type what I want to say, the same as you would with a text message, and then I just press a speech button, and my beautiful voice comes through," Johnson explained 2

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Building a Legacy Beyond ALS

Although Eric Dane wasn't able to put his AI voice to extensive use before his death at 53, Gayheart Dane sees the technology as part of his lasting legacy 4

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. "He really wanted other people to experience that feeling of knowing that you can still communicate after experiencing voice loss," she shared 4

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. She hopes Dane is remembered for how he showed up for other people, his advocacy for ALS, and the good fight he fought. "He simply refused to let this disease take away hope, his life, his ability to do things, his friendship, his relationships. He did not want his purpose stripped away by this disease" 4

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