Impact
A first look at Eleven Voices, our Impact Program documentary series
What if you lost the ability to speak forever, and then found it again?
Humanizing AI through voice at UCLA Communication's 50th Anniversary
Demonstrating how AI is reshaping communication and connection.
An interactive AI experience
To mark its 50th anniversary, the UCLA Department of Communication hosted The Bridge to Humanizing AI, an interactive event examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping communication, empathy, and human connection. A central part of the experience was a digital avatar of Martine Rothblatt, founder and CEO of United Therapeutics and a UCLA alumna, featuring an AI-generated voice created using ElevenLabs technology.
The goal was to examine how realism, tone, and visual embodiment influence trust and understanding in human-AI interaction.
By engaging in natural conversation with Rothblatt’s avatar, participants experienced firsthand how communication cues shape perception, credibility, and emotional response. This approach reflected UCLA’s broader focus on communication as a discipline that explains not only how technologies function, but how humans relate to them.
Conversation and context
The event also featured a panel discussion with Rothblatt, Ray Kurzweil, and UCLA faculty, examining the Department of Communication’s legacy and its role in shaping the future of AI. Topics included the instinct to anthropomorphize intelligent systems, the dynamics of AI-driven echo chambers, and why communication remains central as AI becomes more present in everyday life.
Supporting access through the ElevenLabs Impact Program
We supported the event through the ElevenLabs Impact Program by granting UCLA free access to our voice technology. That access was used to make Rothblatt’s avatar highly realistic, supporting the event’s goal of examining how voice quality and nuance affect human-AI communication.
The Impact Program exists to make voice AI accessible to educators, researchers, and creators working in academic and public-interest contexts. In this case, it enabled UCLA to turn theoretical questions about AI and communication into an experiential format.
Watch the Intro Video
As AI systems continue to shape how people communicate, events like The Bridge to Humanizing AI help clarify what is at stake. When machines speak, we must understand how humans listen, interpret, and connect.
If your school or nonprofit could benefit from ElevenLabs technology, please apply to our Impact Program.
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