ElevenLabs CEO: Voice is the next interface for AI

ElevenLabs co-founder and CEO Mati Staniszewski envisions voice as the next major interface for AI, moving beyond text and screens to become the primary way people interact with technology. Speaking at a TechCrunch event, he highlighted that voice models have evolved from merely mimicking human speech to integrating emotional nuance and reasoning capabilities of large language models. This shift is expected to reduce reliance on phones and screens, allowing users to engage more naturally with their surroundings through voice commands. ElevenLabs’ recent $11 billion valuation reflects growing industry confidence in voice as a key battleground for AI’s next phase, especially as AI integrates into wearables, cars, and other hardware. Staniszewski emphasized the emerging agentic nature of AI voice systems, which will use persistent memory and context to enable more natural, less effortful interactions without explicit instructions. ElevenLabs is developing a hybrid cloud and on-device processing approach to support voice as a constant companion in devices like headphones and wearables. The company is already