by Anna Bulakh – Jun 27, 2022 5:22:52 AM • 8 min

Respeecher On the Future of Voice Cloning for Patients with Speech Disabilities at the 2022 MET-TMOHE Joint Conference

•••

Speech is a uniquely human ability that we often take for granted. It allows us to communicate with one another, express emotions, and convey thoughts and ideas. And then one day, it can all be gone.

12,470 new cases of laryngeal cancer have been registered in 2022 so far. Most patients will undergo a total laryngectomy (removal of the larynx). But the impairments resulting from the removal of such a small organ are severe. People lose their voice and speech, endure altered respiration, and have a diminished sense of taste and smell.

At Sempre 2022, Respeecher demonstrated how voice cloning can change the life of patients with speech disabilities and restore a sense of normalcy. Thanks to the electrolarynx, patients can get part of their voice back. The only drawback is that speech generated by an electrolarynx sounds "robotic". Voice banking technology is being explored as a potential solution to this issue.

Respeecher’s voice cloning algorithms can transform such an unnatural sound of an electrolarynx into more articulated and clearer audio. This improvement transforms significantly the patients' lives allowing them to better communicate online, all while upholding principles of AI ethics.

“The commitment of Respeecher’s highly specialized and professional team makes them a pleasure to work with. In almost no time at all, we were able to produce promising results that we could present at the international SEMPRE conference. We are now exploring different ways to achieve more meaningful and life-changing impacts for the laryngectomy community and those who cannot use their voice box, by providing them with much-needed support for communicating.”

thomas-moors-30-stories-2021-scaled-e1618509953799-1

Dr. Thomas Moors, Director, Shout at Cancer

As technologies, healthcare, and science is evolving at a blistering pace, restoring someone’s lost voice is no longer fiction. It’s a reality. With Respeecher speech synthesis technology, patients can get their voices, vocal quality, signature tone, and cadence, fully restored.

There can be many reasons for someone not being able to use their voice — disability, trauma, or any number of health conditions. Our AI-powered algorithms can now recreate lost or ailing voices for anyone. People who are no longer able to communicate and share emotions using their voice can now do it with Respeecher AI voice technology.

You can see our first trials of realtime conversions with Sara on the min 05:04.

Speech synthesis is already here and allows individuals to communicate even after they’ve lost their ability to speak, thanks to advancements in voice banking and ethical voice cloning technology. Today, Respeecher can help people with severe speech disabilities like Lou Gehrig’s disease, laryngectomy, progressive muscular atrophy, and others, through ethical voice cloning. Now that the future has arrived with voice generation and restoration, people will soon have access to a voice synthesizer controlled by their brain. But we’ll discuss that at another conference sometime this decade.

Anna Bulakh

Head of Ethics and Partnerships

Blending a decade of expertise in international security with a passion for the ethical deployment of AI, I stand at the forefront of shaping how emerging technologies intersect with national resilience and security strategies. As the Head of Ethics and Partnerships at Respeecher, I focus on guiding ethical AI development. My role is centered around promoting the responsible use of AI, especially in synthetic media.