PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Alexis Lexi Bogan had a vibrant voice filled with joy and music before she faced a life-threatening tumor last summer. The tumor, situated near the back of her brain, led to the removal of her breathing tube, resulting in difficulty speaking and swallowing. Following months of rehabilitation, Bogan’s speech remained impaired, leaving her without her original voice.
In April, the 21-year-old received a unique solution to her voice loss – an AI-generated replica of her teenage voice stored in a phone app. This artificial voice clone, developed by OpenAI, enables Bogan to speak almost as she did before her illness, enhancing her communication abilities significantly.
While AI voice-cloning technology has raised concerns related to misuse, Bogan’s case demonstrates a positive application of the innovation. Her collaboration with Rhode Island’s Lifespan hospital group and OpenAI aims to pave the way for future patients with similar conditions to regain their voices using AI technology.
She’s one of the first individuals, and the first with her specific condition, to benefit from this groundbreaking approach. By providing a 15-second snippet of her voice from a past video, Bogan’s AI voice replica was created, surprising everyone with its realism and clarity.
Bogan now utilizes her AI voice clone for daily interactions, including work at a preschool and communicating with family members. This technology has not only enhanced her confidence but has also helped her reconnect with her surroundings and rebuild her sense of identity.
As Bogan continues to explore the possibilities of her AI voice, she anticipates advancements that may address aspects like voice aging. Currently, she is content with having a tool that has given her a voice again and looks forward to contributing feedback to improve the technology for future users.
With Bogan’s successful experience, her doctors have begun replicating voices for other willing patients, highlighting the potential of AI voice-cloning in healthcare settings. While OpenAI is proceeding cautiously with the tool’s expansion, there is optimism about its future applications, such as secure voice authentication for individual users.
Overall, Bogan’s journey showcases the transformative impact of AI technology on restoring lost voices and empowering individuals like her to communicate effectively in various contexts.
