New AI Can Return Voice to People Who Can No Longer Speak

AI then translates these signals into audible words.

By DTD- On Apr 4, 2025

ISLAMABAD: Researchers in California have developed a new AI-powered system that lets people with paralysis speak in real-time using their voices. This marks a big step forward in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.

How It Works

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, San Francisco, created the system. It uses brain-sensing devices to measure activity in the motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls speech. AI then translates these signals into audible words.

The system works with different types of brain sensors—some placed directly on the brain, others on facial muscles. The technology can begin producing speech within one second after a person tries to talk, which is much faster than earlier systems.

Training the AI

To train the AI, researchers asked patients to try saying words while the system recorded their brain signals. They also used recordings of the patients’ voices from before their paralysis to make the speech sound more natural.

The result is more fluid and understandable speech than previous BCI systems could provide. While it’s not yet as smooth as normal speech, it’s a big improvement in helping people communicate more naturally.

Why It Matters

This development could be life-changing for people with conditions like ALS or severe paralysis. It allows them to speak more clearly with caregivers, friends, and others—something that hasn’t been possible with earlier technologies.

According to Gopala Anumanchipalli, a UC Berkeley professor involved in the study published in Nature Neuroscience, the system offers a level of speed and naturalness similar to commercial voice assistants like Alexa or Siri but designed for those who can’t speak.

The team plans to improve the system further by making it faster and adding more expressiveness to the speech. The goal is to make the tool even more useful for people with speech impairments, helping them better connect with others.