A New Version of The Odyssey Narrated by Michael Caine Is Not What It Seems…and People Are Refusing to Listen to It

Seeing the words “a new audiobook narrated by Michael Caine” seems like one of the easiest internet clicks you could want. However, this new audiobook recording of Homer’s The Odyssey featuring the 93-year-old Hollywood veteran has left many fans cold, as it is not Caine himself narrating the Greek classic but his AI clone.

If you have been keeping up with the ever-changing world of AI, it has been hard to avoid the number of celebrities who have been signing away their likeness to be used in AI models in the future. Michael Caine licensed his voice to be cloned by prominent AI voice-cloning company ElevenLabs. Now, the first project to bring “Michael C-AI-ne” to life is his retelling of The Odyssey – not so coincidentally just as Christopher Nolan’s movie is about to hit cinemas.

ElevenLabs, whose investors even include Hollywood stars like Matthew McConaughey, revealed a preview of Caine’s AI clone in action in a new promotional video shared on YouTube as it was released on June 23. While there is no way to deny that the production certainly sounds like Caine’s unmistakable tone, very few people were impressed, branding it “bland,” “lifeless” and “inhuman.”

Caine’s voice is not the only AI-generated part of the project. In fact, the only thing that is not artificially created is the text of the epic poem itself. The 13-hour audiobook features over 20 other AI voices acting out the characters of the story, as well as AI music and sound effects. According to ElevenLabs, the whole project was created in just six weeks by four producers. This in itself is both an impressive feat and a terrifying introduction to how dozens of human jobs can be replaced at the click of a mouse.

An audiobook of this length and complexity would have taken months to complete with real voice actors. It would have gone through several teams of editors and had technical specialists working on sound levels, equalizing and asking for retakes – none of which applies to The Odyssey, as it has mostly been done by computer. None of this has gone unnoticed, and the response has been brutal.

Not Many People are Ready to Accept AI Clones of Celebrities

Criticism of ElevenLabs’ version of The Odyssey came sharp and swift in the comments of the YouTube video, which can be seen below. One comment said, “This is a bot reading a book. No passion or fire or performance.” Another added, “It more or less sounds like Michael Caine but devoid of any passion or commitment to the material.” A third said that whoever made it “should be ashamed.”

While the recording is available to listen to for free, those who want to hear it will still need to sign up to ElevenReader to do so. This is just another bone of contention for many, as signing up to any AI platform is something a lot of people still do not want any part of. Despite this, the new version of The Odyssey is out there in the world and could be the first of many similar projects coming down the line in the near future.

What should be remembered in all this is that Caine fully authorised the use of his voice for projects like this. In a statement, the real Michael Caine expressed his delight at being part of a retelling of what he considers one of the “greatest stories ever told.” He said, “For nearly three millennia, its themes of perseverance, loyalty, temptation, and the enduring call of home have resonated across cultures and generations.”

AI Clones Are Coming and Nothing Will Stop Them

Audiobook listeners may need to get used to this kind of thing, as The Odyssey is not the first project to make use of a cloned celebrity voice as a tie-in to a blockbuster movie. In November 2025, ElevenLabs released a retelling of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” at the same time Wicked: For Good arrived in cinemas, featuring narration by a clone of Judy Garland. Other voices already under the control of the company include comic book icon Stan Lee, David Hasselhoff and Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli.

This all seems to be an extension of the kind of AI use that has been used in TV shows and movies more and more openly. Earlier this year, an AI clone of Val Kilmer appeared in an indie western movie, As Deep as the Grave, and Netflix series Cobra Kai received mixed reactions after resurrecting the late Mr. Miyagi actor Pat Morita for several scenes in the final seasons of the show.

As AI clones become harder to tell from the real thing, voice-over artists are already worried about what the future holds for their industry. There may be plenty of reassurances being thrown around that AI will not take the jobs of professional voice actors, but how long will it be until a company CEO decides drastic cuts in production time and costs are worth it to boost profits just that little bit more?

(featured image: Warner Bros.)

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