When British sactotitist Dr. Peter Scott-Morgan was diagnosed with ALS in 2017, he was told that this disease would take his voice, his movements and, ultimately, his place in the world. But he refused to accept the idea that loss of speech should mean loss of identity. As his body weakened, Scott-Morgan turned to technology, experimenting with voice integration, communication integration and avatar-based communication. His mid-term change earned him the world’s first definition”A human Cyporg“But the label hid a deeper desire: to redefine how disability and technology like AI can evolve together.
After his death in 2022, the Scott-Morgan Foundation (SMF) continued his mission. This organization began to translate Scott-Morgan’s philosophy of shadow – design into real-world technology. One of those efforts took the form of Bernard Muller, a great foundation technology expert, who is completely disabled by ALS. Muller began to reinvent and develop what would become voxai.
“I built Voxai book by book with my eyes. It’s slow, it’s hard work, but when your need is real, just keep going,” he continued, answering about the Voxai program. “I’ve used ai agents as my ‘extra hands,’ breaking down tasks into small steps, testing, immersing and allowing automation to make my body invisible and basic to type letters – they’re useful, but not empowering.
ALS currently affects tens of thousands of people in the US and hundreds of thousands around the world. As the condition progresses, up to 95 percent of patients eventually lose the ability to speak naturally. Existing solutions are often expensive and incomplete. Advanced communication devices and other devices (AAC) – especially those that require special hardware such as eye tracking – usually cost between $10,000 and $15,000. For decades, that barrier has left millions to emerge successfully, relying on programs that flatter emotions and remove identity.
Voxai was unveiled last week at the AI New York conference. It is the product of a collaboration between the Israeli Ai Aist Startup D-id, voice company Elenlabs, Irisbond, Lenovo, Nvidia and several academic partners. D-ID’s real-time Avatar engine animates Face Facial expressions, micro-emotions and natural mouth movements; Irisbond’s hardware enables direct eye control; The voice synthesis of the higher voice restores the user’s pre-disease voice; NVIDIA GPUS provides the real AI performance required for The Zero Latency; And Lenovo provides a solid hardware environment that keeps the system stable and affordable.
Founded in 2017 in Israel, D-id first gained recognition for its privacy technology and pioneered Veneli Video’s AI in 2019. Its programs now power Fortune 500 companies and public institutions.
“When it comes to disability, the big blind spot is considered too small or too niche to be marketable,” Gil Perry, founder and CEO of D-ID, told the startup. “We believe that a clear, real-time digital presence is becoming a new layer of communications infrastructure, and accessibility is where that value is clearest and most urgent.”
“For some people, sound presence is a benefit; for others, it’s a way of life,” Perry added. “Healthcare providers and tech-providers need transparent and reliable overlays that can be integrated into their systems and make communication truly personal to those who matter.”
At its core, Voxai is built on a simple yet dynamic concept: Assistive technology should not simply generate words on behalf of the user; It should help them express themselves.
Leah Stavenhagen, an ALS advocate and participant in the original Voxai trial, said the most difficult part of losing her speech was the invisibility that accompanied it. He recently started using the tool as a beta tester and showed off his digital avatar during the Platform’s public draw at an AI conference.
“When the communication takes 30 seconds to several minutes for all the answers, the conversations do not wait. At the time when you composed your thoughts,” he told the visual, “he told the deviant, responding with the Voxai system. “People stop asking complex questions and start talking ‘you’ instead of ‘to you.'”
To communicate, users interact with a screen placed in front of them with an eye tracking device. As conversations unfold around them, the microphone picks up what others are saying, and the AIs combine three possible responses. The user selects one by moving their eyes. As long as you are selected, the avatar shown on the screen above the user or on the connected device – delivers the answer with the user’s own voice, complete with facial nuances and emotional expression. The avatar continues to learn about your ongoing interactions, intake preferences, social cues and your history. The goal is to maintain personal growth that many people lose in their growth.
“The first time someone sees their avatar or hears their voice, there’s often a moment of recognition because you’re leaving something lost,” Lavonne Roberts, chief executive officer of the Scott-Morgan Foundant, told The Wanderer.
Long-term support technology is defined by reduced prices. SMF is trying to expand that model by offering voxai for free in the basic tier, with advanced features available for a $30 monthly subscription.
“Preservation of identity will be a class of its own. Voice cloning exists now, but we are moving forward to a complete understanding where your voice, your expressions, your communication patterns are stored and protected,” said Robert. “Ambient AI Systems that listen and respond to the situation without clear instructions will revolutionize nursing care, elder care, and provide greater freedom for people living with mobility limitations.”
