A 30-second video found on an old MacBook has enabled a Perth speech pathologist to restore the voice of a 24-year-old woman with motor neurone disease using artificial intelligence.
Bradley Pang, a speech pathologist for MSWA, used ElevenLabs software to recreate Elena's voice from the brief clip and integrate it into her eye gaze communication device.
Elena developed MND as a teenager, losing her ability to speak. The short video, recorded on an old laptop, was the only remaining audio of her voice.
Pang edited the clip to isolate Elena's voice and adjusted settings in the AI software to match her natural speech as closely as possible.
The restored voice has given Elena greater independence and allowed her young niece, who had never heard her speak, to communicate with her in her own voice.
Pang received the Allied Health Professionals Award at the National Disability Services WA Disability Support Awards for his work, and plans to use the technology for other clients facing voice loss.
