IBM and ElevenLabs Join Forces to Enhance Enterprise AI with Voice Technology

On March 25, 2026, International Business Machines Corp (IBM) and ElevenLabs announced a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at transforming the landscape of agentic AI. By integrating ElevenLabs' premium Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech to Text (STT) technologies into IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate platform, the two companies are set to elevate voice interactions within enterprise environments, enhancing customer and employee experiences through more natural and engaging communication.

Voice technology has become a pivotal element in customer and employee-facing AI workflows. However, many existing voice solutions still rely on robotic tones and rigid scripts, leading to frustrations and diminished user experiences. The integration of ElevenLabs' advanced TTS technology addresses these challenges by enabling organizations to create voice-enabled agents that communicate in a manner that is both clear and human-like.

“AI agents are becoming central to everyday work, and voice is where AI either earns trust or loses it,” stated Mati Staniszewski, Co-founder at ElevenLabs. The collaboration seeks to replace mechanical interactions with engaging dialogues, ensuring that enterprise AI solutions meet security and compliance standards.

This partnership not only enhances the capabilities of IBM watsonx Orchestrate but also expands the potential applications of agentic AI across various sectors. Government agencies, banks, healthcare providers, and utilities can now utilize voice-enabled agents capable of conversing in 70 languages, complete with regional accents and voices. This capability is crucial for delivering essential information related to healthcare, education, and civic services to diverse communities.

IBM watsonx Orchestrate serves as a unified platform designed for clients to build, deploy, manage, and govern AI agents. The integration of ElevenLabs' voice capabilities allows these agents to leverage a library of over 10,000 voices while ensuring enterprise-grade protections such as PCI compliance and HIPAA-compliant data handling. This combination addresses the demands for consistency, security, and reliability in enterprise-scale deployments, supporting high-volume interactions across global user bases.

Nick Holda, Vice President of AI Technology Partnerships at IBM, emphasized the importance of creating intuitive and accessible AI interactions. “As clients increasingly deploy agentic AI that interacts with their customers and employees, they want these experiences to feel intuitive, responsive and accessible,” he noted. The collaboration exemplifies IBM's open ecosystem approach, which offers clients the flexibility to choose the appropriate models and tools for their business needs.

Both IBM and ElevenLabs have committed to continue their collaboration, focusing on moving beyond traditional text-based agents to voice-first, human-centered AI experiences designed for enterprises. This strategic partnership aims to not only enhance user engagement but also streamline workflows, ultimately fostering a more effective operational environment.

As the demand for more engaging and human-like interactions in AI continues to grow, this collaboration positions both IBM and ElevenLabs at the forefront of a significant technological evolution in enterprise AI. By harnessing the power of advanced voice technology, they are poised to redefine how organizations connect with their customers and employees in an increasingly digital world.