Current:Home > ScamsHow artificial intelligence is helping ALS patients preserve their voices-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
How artificial intelligence is helping ALS patients preserve their voices
View Date:2024-12-23 19:15:09
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! (691)
Related
- Colts' Kenny Moore II ridicules team's effort in loss to Bills
- See Inside Gigi Hadid's Daughter Khai's Super Sweet 4th Birthday Party
- How can I resolve a hostile email exchange before it escalates? Ask HR
- NFL power rankings Week 3: Chiefs still No. 1, but top five overhaul occurs after chaotic weekend
- The Daily Money: Markets react to Election 2024
- Ping pong balls thrown at Atlanta city council members in protest of mayor, 'Cop City'
- Longshoremen at key US ports threatening to strike over automation and pay
- Influencer Candice Miller Sued for Nearly $200,000 in Unpaid Rent After Husband Brandon’s Death
- 'Yellowstone's powerful opening: What happened to Kevin Costner's John Dutton?
- Washington gubernatorial debate pits attorney general vs. ex-sheriff who helped nab serial killer
Ranking
- How Kim Kardashian Navigates “Uncomfortable” Situations With Her 4 Kids
- Longshoremen at key US ports threatening to strike over automation and pay
- Kate Middleton Reaches New Milestone After Completing Chemotherapy for Cancer
- Honolulu Police Department is adding dozens of extra police officers to westside patrols
- 'We suffered great damage': Fierce California wildfire burns homes, businesses
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Floor Plans
- Eric Roberts Apologizes to Sister Julia Roberts Amid Estrangement
- Riding wave of unprecedented popularity, WNBA announces 15th team will go to Portland
Recommendation
-
Prominent conservative lawyer Ted Olson, who argued Bush recount and same-sex marriage cases, dies
-
Taco Bell gets National Taco Day moved so it always falls on a Taco Tuesday
-
Mary Jo Eustace Details Coparenting Relationship With Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling
-
Americans can now renew passports online and bypass cumbersome paper applications
-
AIT Community Introduce
-
US Army conducts training exercise on Alaskan island less than 300 miles from Russia
-
'Heartbreaking': Mass. police recruit dies after getting knocked out in training exercise
-
DWTS’ Stephen Nedoroscik Shares the Advice He Got From Girlfriend Tess McCracken for Emmys Date Night