Current:Home > StocksHow artificial intelligence is helping ALS patients preserve their voices-LoTradeCoin
How artificial intelligence is helping ALS patients preserve their voices
View Date:2024-12-23 20:43:23
New York City — Brian Jeansonne talks to the world about his journey with ALS through TikTok videos, which the 46-year-old makes with his family and caregivers.
He began recording them when he was still able to speak on his own.
"I'm married for almost 18 years, have five kids," Jeansonne said in one such video.
"But nothing that has been taken away makes me as sad as losing my ability to speak," he said in another.
However, with the help of artificial intelligence, Jeansonne has been able to keep his ability to speak through a process called voice preservation.
"Imagine having no way to communicate your wants or needs or your love," Jeansonne told CBS News. "Voice preservation gives that back to us. This, in many ways, saved my life."
@thejeansonne7 How quickly ALS can take everyrhing from you. From diagnosis in 2020 to today in 2023 #CapCut #love #foryoupage #ALS #tiktok #foryou #viral #viralvideo #fyp #j7 #thejeansonne7 #tiktok #lovegoals #family #duet
♬ Late Tears - Muspace Lofi
CBS News first covered the technology of voice preservation in 2016. At the time, ALS patients at Boston Children's Hospital recorded their voices to play back when they lost their ability to speak. Since then, the technology has only improved, thanks to AI.
"It's allowing people to have to record fewer messages," said John Costello, director of the Augmentative Communication Program at Boston Children's Hospital. "The quality is far superior to what we were able to do in the early days."
- Phone scammers are using artificial intelligence to mimic voices
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing patients to lose their ability to move and speak. An average of 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jeansonne and his wife, Kristy, spoke to CBS News through Zoom, which allowed Brian to receive some of the questions in advance, since he has to type out his responses in real time.
The camera on his device tracks his eye movements, allowing them to function like a cursor.
"I am amazed by it," Jeansonne said of the technology. "That fact that I can sound kind of like me is a true gift to me and my family."
"To me, he's there," Kristy Jeansonne added. "His voice is there. It's just totally life changing."
- Is artificial intelligence advancing too quickly? What AI leaders at Google say
Voice preservation can cost more than $1,000, but there are nonprofits that can help pay for it.
On their 20th anniversary, Brian used the technology to repeat his wedding vows to Kristy, continuing to communicate his love for her and for life.
- In:
- Lou Gehrig's Disease
- Artificial Intelligence
- ALS
Dr. Jonathan LaPook is the chief medical correspondent for CBS News.
TwitterveryGood! (5)
Related
- Mattel says it ‘deeply’ regrets misprint on ‘Wicked’ dolls packaging that links to porn site
- Judge in Trump's New York fraud trial upholds $10,000 fine for violating gag order
- Federal judge rules Georgia's district lines violated Voting Rights Act and must be redrawn
- Blac Chyna Reveals Where She Stands With the Kardashian-Jenner Family After Past Drama
- Horoscopes Today, November 9, 2024
- Senegalese opposition leader Sonko regains consciousness but remains on hunger strike, lawyer says
- Spain considers using military barracks to house migrants amid uptick in arrivals by boat
- Feeling the pinch of high home insurance rates? It's not getting better anytime soon
- 'Dangerous and unsanitary' conditions at Georgia jail violate Constitution, feds say
- New labor rule could be a big deal for millions of franchise and contract workers. Here's why.
Ranking
- Let Demi Moore’s Iconic Fashion Give You More Inspiration
- A salty problem for people near the mouth of the Mississippi is a wakeup call for New Orleans
- Pedro Argote, wanted in killing of Maryland judge, found dead
- AP PHOTOS: Pan American Games bring together Olympic hopefuls from 41 nations
- US Election Darkens the Door of COP29 as It Opens in Azerbaijan
- What is Gaza’s Ministry of Health and how does it calculate the war’s death toll?
- Twitter takeover: 1 year later, X struggles with misinformation, advertising and usage decline
- Man indicted on murder charge 23 years after girl, mother disappeared in West Virginia
Recommendation
-
Judge sets April trial date for Sarah Palin’s libel claim against The New York Times
-
Prescription for disaster: America's broken pharmacy system in revolt over burnout and errors
-
Maine passed a law to try to prevent mass shootings. Some say more is needed after Lewiston killings
-
NFL should have an open mind on expanding instant replay – but it won't
-
Burger King's 'Million Dollar Whopper' finalists: How to try and vote on your favorite
-
Prescription for disaster: America's broken pharmacy system in revolt over burnout and errors
-
Britney Spears' Ex Sam Asghari Reacts to Her Memoir Revelation About Their Marriage
-
Wisconsin Republicans back bill outlawing race- and diversity-based university financial aid