MasterClass brings AI instructors to life with ElevenLabs

This ElevenLabs case study article introduces how MasterClass has brought AI voice instructors into MasterClass On Call, allowing users not only to watch course videos but also to interact in real time, by voice, with AI versions of famous instructors. The instructor personas mentioned in the article include Gordon Ramsay, Mark Cuban, Chris Voss, and Dr. Matt Walker, with use scenarios spanning topics such as career communication, presentation pitching, negotiation, sleep, and jet lag. MasterClass had originally tested a text chat interface that let users ask AI instructors questions and get personalized feedback, but users expected a deeper, more human-like conversational experience, so the team pivoted to voice interaction. MasterClass chose ElevenLabs for three main reasons: first, voice quality, since the AI voice needs to convey the instructor's pace, tone, emotion, and brand persona; second, low latency, because natural conversation requires fast responses, otherwise the sense of interaction breaks down; and third, deep collaboration between the two parties, with ElevenLabs' Forward Deployed Engineering team working with MasterClass's product and engineering teams for 18 months, participating in data preparation, model training, and quality assurance. The article claims that after adding ElevenLabs voice to MasterClass On Call, the response was positive, with more than 75% of users interacting with On Call by voice, and voice users also showing higher retention and engagement. On safety, MasterClass adopts multiple layers of control: during training, internal and external red teams test the model's accuracy, tone, and topic scope, with final approval from the instructor team; during inference, real-time and offline moderation systems monitor conversations to prevent the AI from straying off-domain; and high-risk or repeatedly flagged content is handed off to human review. Going forward, MasterClass positions On Call as a combination of AI coaching and roleplay, letting users practice scenarios such as communication, leadership, and interviews, and obtain qualitative feedback and quantitative scoring. The focus of this article is not a new model release but rather a demonstration of the commercial implementation of AI voice in educational products, celebrity IP, and personalized learning.