Karnataka and ElevenLabs plan voice assistance for public services
Karnataka’s agreement with ElevenLabs covers safer voice cloning, synthetic voices for people who have lost speech and public-service applications in local languages. Eligible residents are to receive free lifetime licences through One Million Voices. The memorandum is voluntary and non-binding; individual pilots, approvals and implementation schedules will be determined separately by the state.
Artificial Intelligence··Morning
The agreement covers voice safety and citizen services
India’s Karnataka state has signed a memorandum with voice AI company ElevenLabs to explore public-service applications, a voice safety framework and synthetic voice restoration for eligible residents. The agreement was made on October 6 through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society, the state organisation responsible for this technology collaboration.[1], [2]
The memorandum is voluntary and non-binding. It leaves future procurement decisions open, and specific initiatives require separately agreed arrangements, approvals and compliance with applicable laws. Karnataka will determine which demonstrations and pilots proceed, their scope and their implementation sequence.[1]
Speech-loss support includes free lifetime licences
Through ElevenLabs’ One Million Voices programme, eligible people identified by the state or organisations under its guidance are to receive free lifetime licences. The aim is to help residents with speech loss from oral or throat cancer, ALS or other neurological and degenerative conditions communicate using a synthetic version of their own voice, including in Kannada. The state society is discussing implementation and beneficiary selection with the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing in Mysore.[1]
Voice cloning safeguards accompany local-language pilots
Safety work will examine deepfake detection, audio provenance, watermarking, consent to cloning and restrictions involving public figures. It also covers protection for government representatives against unauthorised voice cloning and training for officials. Potential services include citizen helplines, grievance handling, information about entitlements and voice interfaces in Kannada and other local languages.[1]
