Generative AI is reshaping how people with speech impairments communicate, enabling the return or personality rhythm, and emotional inflection often lost with traditional total glossectomy and laryngectomy.<\/p>\n
AI companies are building lifelike voice models from short recordings \u2014 sometimes just a voicemail \u2014 though 30 minutes of audio remains ideal, according to NPR<\/a>. One of these tools, Whisper, allows users to input text and broadcast speech in their own AI-cloned voice through portable devices.\u00a0<\/p>\n As more of these apps emerge and more researchers call for clinical trials, experts hope voice replication will gain recognition as a vital part of identity, potentially even insurance coverage.<\/p>\n When doctors told 51-year-old architect Sonya Sotinsky that the only way to save her from advanced oral cancer was to remove her tongue and voice box, she didn\u2019t just prepare for the life-changing surgery, she recorded messages she hoped would help her stay connected after losing her ability to speak.<\/p>\n She spent her final five weeks before surgery capturing the everyday and the emotional: \u201cHappy birthday,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m proud of you,\u201d and \u201cI\u2019ll be right with you\u201d for her family and clients. She read children\u2019s books in hopes of one day being part of her future grandchildren\u2019s bedtime rituals.\u00a0<\/p>\n Then, in a deliberate expression of personality, she also recorded long strings of expletives. If voice is a marker of identity, then sarcasm was going to survive the operation too.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you can\u2019t use your voice, it is very, very frustrating,\u201d she told NPR. \u201cOther people project what they think your personality is. I have silently screamed and screamed at there being no scream.\u201d<\/p>\n After her total glossectomy and laryngectomy in 2022, early voice tech options which proved mechanical, flat, and barely intelligible, left her socially and emotionally isolated. But in 2024, Sotinsky discovered generative AI capable of recreating her vocal fingerprint: tone, inflection, even her New Jersey accent.<\/p>\n Using several hours of her personal recordings \u2014 especially those children\u2019s book sessions \u2014 AI company Whisper<\/a> developed a voice model that now lives in a mobile app. Sontinsky types, and the app speaks for her. Through portable speakers, her voice re-entered the room.<\/p>\n \u201cEloise saved my voice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we heard her AI voice, we all cried,\u201d added her daughter Ela Fuentevilla. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy similar.\u201d<\/p>\n The loss of speech affects more than just one\u2019s ability to communicate. It impacts thought processing, emotional expression, and social dignity. Patients like Sotinsky often face increased emotional distress, job loss, and social withdrawal.<\/p>\n \u201cCommunication is not only how we express ourselves and relate to other people, but also how we make sense of the world,\u201d Dr. Sue Yom, a radiation oncologist at UC San Francisco, told NPR.<\/p>\n And yet, despite its obvious benefits, Sotinsky\u2019s insurer denied reimbursement for her $3,000 AI voice technology. She now pays a $99 monthly fee out of pocket. \u201cApparently, having a voice is not considered a medical necessity,\u201d she quipped.<\/p>\n AI didn\u2019t just restore Sotinsky\u2019s identity, it helped save her life in a different way. When her cancer returned, she used her AI voice to fully participate in treatment planning. \u201cBeing able to dialogue with my care team in a more seamless way is vital,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In a time when AI is often either hailed as a miracle<\/a> or flagged as an ethical menace<\/a>, Sotinsky\u2019s story is a reminder: the most meaningful applications don\u2019t replace humans, they help people remain more fully themselves.<\/p>\n As she put it\u2026 \u201cSarcasm is part of my love language.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Healthcare organizations of all types are adopting generative AI in hopes of optimizing patient diagnoses, improving doctor-patient relationships, and providing administrative and clerical support in clinical settings. Read more about the changes and challenges<\/strong> GenAI poses in the healthcare space<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The post AI Tech Gives Cancer Patient Her Voice Back \u2014 With Sass Intact<\/a> appeared first on eWEEK<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Generative AI is reshaping how people with speech impairments communicate, enabling the return or personality rhythm, and emotional inflection often lost with traditional total glossectomy and laryngectomy. AI companies are building lifelike voice models from short recordings \u2014 sometimes just a voicemail \u2014 though 30 minutes of audio remains ideal, according to NPR. One of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4911"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4911"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4911\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Preserving a voice before losing it<\/h2>\n
AI, emotion, and a natural-sounding comeback<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s lost without a voice, what technology can restore<\/h2>\n
AI as medical empowerment<\/h2>\n