The Voice as Software: ElevenLabs CEO on Promise, Peril, and the Fight for Control

In a world where a minute of audio can replicate a person’s voice, the line between tool and weapon is vanishingly thin. Mati Staniszewski, CEO of ElevenLabs, sees a future transformed by this capability. His company’s technology, which recently demonstrated a convincing clone of Al Jazeera’s Neave Barker, promises revolutions in film dubbing, personalized education, and restoring speech to those who have lost it.

Yet, Staniszewski is acutely aware of the shadow his creation casts. The same tool designed for medical aid can be twisted for fraud, targeted disinformation, and psychological warfare. The interview with Al Jazeera pivots on this tension. As voice becomes just another line of code, the fundamental question shifts from what it can do to who gets to decide.

Control is the new frontier. ElevenLabs is implementing safety measures and detection tools, while also pursuing partnerships with governments. Ukraine’s ambitious concept of an “agentic state,” leveraging AI for administrative and defensive purposes, is cited as one potential model for integration. But these are early steps in a much longer race. The core dilemma remains unresolved: when your voice is no longer solely your own, what rights do you retain, and who is accountable for its use? The answer will define not just a company’s trajectory, but the next era of digital identity.