**AI-Generated Voice Helps Woman Regain Speech After Tumor Surgery**
Lexi Bogan, a 21-year-old woman from Rhode Island, lost her voice last summer after doctors removed a life-threatening tumor near the back of her brain. However, in April, she regained her voice through an AI-generated clone trained on a 15-second recording of her teenage voice.
Bogan’s original voice was described as exuberant, filled with laughter and music. She loved to sing Taylor Swift and Zach Bryan songs in the car and was a soprano in her high school chorus. After the tumor surgery, she struggled to speak and communicate with others, leading to frustration and isolation.
With the help of OpenAI’s Voice Engine, Bogan can now type words or sentences into a phone app, and her AI voice will read them aloud in her original voice. This technology has the potential to help millions of people with speech impediments or losses, such as those with strokes, throat cancer, or neurogenerative diseases.
While there are concerns about the misuse of AI voice-cloning technology, Bogan and her medical team believe that the benefits outweigh the risks. They hope that Bogan’s success story will pave the way for more patients to benefit from this innovative technology.
Bogan’s journey with the AI voice clone has been emotional and empowering. She uses the app daily to communicate with others, order food, and even reconnect with her family. Despite not having her full natural voice back, she feels grateful for the opportunity to have a voice again.
As the technology continues to evolve, Bogan envisions a future where AI voice engines can seamlessly integrate with the human body or adapt to changes over time. For now, she is focused on using her experience to help others and inspire further advancements in the field of speech recovery.
Bogan’s story serves as a reminder of the transformative power of technology and the resilience of the human spirit in overcoming challenges.