NY firm ElevenLabs partners with Karnataka govt. to boost Voice AI adoption

NY-based generative voice AI firm ElevenLabs has partnered with the Karnataka government to boost the adoption of voice AI technology. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by ElevenLabs co-founder and CEO Mati Staniszewski and Karnataka Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge during the ElevenLabs Summit in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The partnership aims to promote the use of voice AI in Kannada, particularly in skilling, citizen services, and grievance redressal, as well as work on responsible AI and voice restoration.

India is ElevenLabs' second-largest market, following the U.S., and businesses in the country generated 100 million conversations on 'ElevenAgents' in the past year, with over 70% conducted in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu. The company has seen a surge in developers and businesses actively using its API, with the number of users increasing roughly 2.5 times over the past year.

ElevenLabs has pledged to restore 1 million voices to those who have permanently lost their ability to speak due to conditions such as ALS, cerebral palsy, throat cancer, and multiple sclerosis. The firm is collaborating with various partners, including the ALS Care and Support Foundation, Organisation for Rare Diseases India, 'Yes, We Can', Nipman Foundation, and The Quantum Hub, to achieve this goal.

Furthermore, ElevenLabs has provided free technology to over 75 NGOs in India through its wider impact program. At the event, former radio and entertainment professional Sapna Rana, who lost her ability to speak after developing ALS, shared her experience of recreating her voice, which has enabled her to communicate and create once again.