The Dr. Maya Angelou Digital Museum: Caged Bird Legacy and CMG Worldwide announce partnership with Worldwide XR, VueXR, ElevenLabs and D.R.E.A.M.S. at FIU to create new AI/AR experiences honoring the life and legacy of CMG client Dr. Maya Angelou for Women’s History Month.
Four new AI/AR educational experiences celebrating Maya Angelou’s life and legacy have launched on the VueXR app, created through a groundbreaking collaboration between Worldwide XR, VueXR, ElevenLabs, and D.R.E.A.M.S. at FIU. These immersive AR experiences bring Dr. Angelou’s story to life with AI-generated recreations of her voice by ElevenLabs, offering an unparalleled literary journey.
Every aspect of this project has been crafted with integrity and respect. CMG Worldwide ensured the necessary rights were cleared with Caged Bird Legacy, LLC, representing the estate of Dr. Maya Angelou.
“We believe that Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality can bring Dr. Angelou’s words to life in a unique way,” said a spokesperson for Caged Bird Legacy in a statement. “The Dr. Maya Angelou AI/AR Experience will introduce her stories, poetry, and messages of resilience, hope, courage, self-love, and inclusivity to a new generation, while offering those familiar with her work innovative ways to engage with it. Through her AI-generated voice and AR-created immersive experiences, users will be guided through Dr. Angelou’s writings and gain unparalleled access to the life of this legendary American author, activist, teacher, producer, speaker, and champion of human rights.”
“We are honored to celebrate Dr. Maya Angelou’s profound legacy through innovative AI and AR experiences,” said Mark Roesler, CEO of CMG Worldwide.
ElevenLabs’ AI voice synthesis was similarly developed with ethical oversight to preserve the depth and emotion of Dr. Angelou’s voice. With the estate’s active participation, this initiative honors her legacy through immersive storytelling, making her wisdom and words accessible to audiences worldwide.
“Maya Angelou’s voice is central to her work. AI makes it possible for people to hear her words as she spoke them, bringing her writing and ideas to life in a new way,” said Dustin Blank, Head of Partnerships at ElevenLabs. “These AI/AR experiences make her legacy more immediate and accessible.”
Professor Travis Cloyd of FIU’s D.R.E.A.M.S. program is proud of the university’s role in this educational AI experience. “By integrating AI, augmented reality, and spatial experiences, we are creating a new standard for location-based entertainment, one that enhances learning, retention, empathy and connection for the next generation. Immersive experiences aren’t just seen—they’re felt. By blending digital and physical worlds, we create deeper connections to stories that matter.”
The AR Dr. Maya Angelou experiences include:
- Dr. Angelou AR Digital Quarter Experience – In 2022, Dr. Maya Angelou became the first African American woman to be honored on a U.S. quarter. Now, hold history in your hands in a reimagined AR experience, a powerful testament to her impact on literature, civil rights, and cultural history.
- Dr. Angelou Caged Bird Immersive Experience – Step into Dr. Maya Angelou’s world and experience the Caged Bird poem like never before using augmented reality. As users enter an intricately designed AR birdcage, each step immerses them in the emotions of struggle and triumph, feeling the deep meaning of her words.
- Dr. Angelou AR Poem Gallery Experience- Witness the power of Maya Angelou’s words in an AR journey. Users walk through her words as they unfold in sight and sound. Featuring the ElevenLabs AI voice reconstruction, her powerful voice narrates stunning visuals, bringing her message to life.
- Dr. Angelou AR Digital Library Experience – Step into Dr. Maya Angelou’s library where users find seven towering books. The warm, powerful voice of Dr. Maya Angelou herself begins to narrate excerpts from her writings as users approach.
- The Dr. Angelou Museum Experience – Showcasing her childhood, activism, creative writing, and public speaking in an interactive exhibition. This experience is still being constructed, and will be available for demonstration in the coming days.
Maya Angelou’s experiences are available to explore on the VueXR App and Worldwide XR website now.
About CMG Worldwide
Since 1981, CMG Worldwide has been the recognized leader in intellectual property management. The business agent for over 200 legends – past and present, CMG Worldwide’s primary goal is to protect clients’ image and likeness and perpetuate their remarkable legacies. For nearly four decades, the company’s clients, including Albert Einstein, James Dean, and Dr. Maya Angelou have been featured in unprecedented endorsement campaigns, from brand collaborations to product cross-promotion, and in AI experiences.
About Caged Bird Legacy
Caged Bird Legacy LLC is a California-based marketing services company created and entrusted to preserve, protect and promote the life, lifeworks, likeness and legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou for future generations. This is accomplished by managing, controlling, consolidating and commercializing the intellectual property, publicity rights and image of Dr. Angelou.
About Worldwide XR
WXR is a leading immersive technology company specializing in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) experiences. Focused on preserving and extending the legacies of iconic figures, WXR brings historical and cultural storytelling to life through cutting-edge digital experiences. The company collaborates with major brands, estates, and institutions to create interactive content that engages global audiences across mobile, social media, and WebAR platforms.
About VueXR
VueXR is an innovative extended reality (XR) platform that enables users to create, share, and experience immersive 3D content in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Designed for accessibility, VueXR allows content creators, brands, and institutions to publish XR experiences that can be viewed directly on mobile devices and browsers without the need for additional hardware. With a focus on storytelling, education, and interactive engagement, VueXR is transforming how audiences interact with digital content in physical spaces.
About ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs builds AI audio tools for creators, media, and businesses, aiming to develop the leading AI audio platform, advance AI audio intelligence, and make information accessible in any voice, language, or sound. Our models generate ultra-realistic speech and sounds in 32 languages, supporting industries like publishing, entertainment, education, accessibility, and conversational AI. We develop our tools mindful of their impact, balancing safety with innovation to support practical and creative applications. For more information, please contact press@elevenlabs.io.
