Voice AI startup Eleven Labs on Wednesday introduced a feature similar to Google's NotebookLM that lets users upload different types of content to create multi-speaker podcasts.
The feature, called GenFM, is in the company's Eleven Lab Leader iOS app. Currently, GenFM supports 32 languages including English, Hindi, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and more.
To use GenFM, first upload a YouTube video, text, or document. The app will then automatically select the two audios to create your podcast. According to the company, more than a dozen different voices are available.
One of the more interesting screens you might see when the app prepares an AI-generated podcast is “Sprinkle in some hmmms” and “Add some thoughtful pauses.” At a time when tools are helping humans remove the “uh”s and “aahs”, Eleven Labs is adding a human element to AI-generated podcasts.
“We debated how much to introduce human dialogue fillers and overlays similar to 'umm', 'ahh', 'hmmm'/laughter/breathing. We aim to strike the right balance between natural human conversation and providing usefulness from our content. ” Jack McDermott, head of mobile growth at Eleven Labs, told TechCrunch via email.
“If you look at some of the best long-form podcasts out there, [fewer] There were no more interruptions, creating a more natural and insightful flow of conversation,” he said. “This kind of experience is ultimately what we are aiming for, while making audio narratives more accessible across different voices and languages.”
In the future, Eleven Labs will support more customization and the ability to add multiple sources to create generative AI podcasts.
In September, Google launched the ability to create AI-generated conversations in NotebookLM from provided sources. A month later, the company added the ability for users to customize their AI-generated podcast output.
Earlier this month, Eleven Labs announced it would invest $11 million into Poland's startup ecosystem and open an office in Warsaw, which will serve as the company's research and development center to attract local AI talent. The startup also said it is expanding into India, where it has hired a business director and is currently building its team. The company has also launched a conversational AI agent for customers.