You’re only supposed to blow the bloody hooves off: AI Michael Caine narrates Odyssey audiobook
TL;DR
ElevenLabs has used an officially licensed AI replica of Michael Caine’s voice for a new audiobook version of The Odyssey. The 13-hour production uses William Cullen Bryant’s 1870s translation and is ElevenLabs’ first major in-house cinematic multicast audiobook. Caine licensed his voice to ElevenLabs in 2025. The Guardian says his direct role was mainly consultancy to tune the replica.
Nauti's Take
This is not a cheap deepfake scandal, which makes it more important. It is licensed, high-profile, and neatly packaged as innovation.
ElevenLabs frames it as faster production with more opportunity, but the artistic test is stricter: a controlled Caine voice is not automatically a Michael Caine performance. When supporting voices learn about the project only after completion, payment does not fully remove the platform-labor aftertaste.
Briefingshow
This shows how fast voice cloning is moving from demo novelty into normal media production. Consent and licensing are clearer here than in many grey-zone projects, but the labor model still shifts: actors become voice assets, supporting roles become library picks, and performance becomes post-production.
Video
Sources