If artificial intelligence is here to stay, Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine aren't wasting any time jumping on the bandwagon.

The Oscar-winning actors are teaming up with audio research company ElevenLabs to produce AI replications of their voices, according to a pair of press releases published Tuesday, Nov. 11.

McConaughey, who released his poetry book "Poems & Prayers" in September, is partnering with ElevenLabs for the Spanish-language audio version of his newsletter, "Lyrics of Livin'." The English-language version features McConaughey's unaltered voice.

"I launched my newsletter, 'Lyrics of Livin',' as a way to share stories and ideas in my own voice with those who want to listen," McConaughey said in a statement to Variety. "To everyone building with voice technology: keep going. You're helping create a future where we can look up from our screens and connect through something as timeless as humanity itself — our voices."

In addition to their audiobook collaboration, McConaughey, 56, has been an investor in ElevenLabs for several years. "What's remained constant is the extraordinary storytelling capabilities and creative potential that ElevenLabs unlocks — something that stood out to me from the start and that speaks to me as a professional storyteller," the actor said in a separate statement.

Meanwhile, Caine, 92, is lending his voice to ElevenLabs' Iconic Marketplace, an audio library that allows companies to "request access to iconic talent for projects and content." Other famous voices featured in the library include Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Art Garfunkel and Maya Angelou.

"For years, I've lent my voice to stories that moved people — tales of courage, of wit, of the human spirit. Now, I'm helping others find theirs," Caine, who retired from acting in 2023, said in a statement. "With ElevenLabs, we can preserve and share voices — not just mine, but anyone's."

He added: "ElevenLabs is at the very forefront of technology, using innovation not to replace humanity, but to celebrate it. ElevenLabs gives everyone the tools to be heard. It's not about replacing voices; it's about amplifying them, opening doors for new storytellers everywhere."

Fans weigh in on Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine AI projects

The jury is still out on whether the world is ready for AI icons.

News of McConaughey and Caine's collaborations with ElevenLabs set off a fierce debate on social media, with many criticizing the actors for using artificial intelligence on their voices.

"If you want to profit from using AI yourself, just say that… but let's not make this a self-righteous exclamation about benefitting and connecting humanity…." one X user wrote.

"What was the point of the strike if the actors themselves are just gonna sign a deal to let anyone use their voices to say whatever they type on the prompt?" @LittleGameBoy00 wrote, referencing the 2023 actors strike.

"Love both of these men, but no. What they are actually doing is ensuring that future generations of actors, singers and voice actors do not get a look-in," @AlynnFletcher wrote. "Having already made outsized amounts of money, relative to 98% of the creatives on this planet, they are not only hoarding money but pulling up the ladder that might have lifted at least some other people from future generations."

However, some users applauded the innovation of McConaughey and Caine's team-up with the tech company, especially as AI usage continues to rise across industries.

"This makes sense for anyone with an iconic voice. I could have easily seen James Earl Jones being a coveted voice, prior to his death…same with Alan Rickman," @TenDesiderantes wrote. "Lot of voices out there that I could see being sought after for preservation and continued use."

"Obviously, there's a myriad of reasons AI is bad, from water use to energy use from data centers, to the fact they're just plundering people's art," @AlwaysFlacko wrote. "Hopefully this can be used to start a precedent that AI companies offer contracts and pay people to use their voices/likenesses exclusively if we're going down this really stupid road."

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine raise eyebrows with AI voice projects

Reporting by Edward Segarra, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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