Since E.M. Forster’s short story “The Machine Stops” in 1909, literature, film, radio, and television have fed our fear that robots and machines will use artificial intelligence to conquer and rule over humanity.
However, as artificial intelligence continues to advance, we are seeing that its use is helpful rather than threatening, even in the design of advanced-technology hearing aids.
Rather than writing a scary story about artificial intelligence (AI), I want to use this post to demonstrate the impact of artificial intelligence on hearing aids.
Defining Artificial Intelligence
Before we can really understand the impact of artificial intelligence on hearing aids, we need to understand what is meant by the term “artificial intelligence.”
“Artificial intelligence is a very broad definition. Machine learning, neural network, deep learning, and all of those, fall under the AI umbrella,” says Issa M.S. Panahi, PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas, quoted by Healthy Hearing.
Two of these forms of AI are typically talked about in the design innovations of modern hearing aids: machine learning and deep neural network (DNN).
Among the most common subsets of AI used in hearing aids is machine learning, which uses algorithms (aka, a set of rules) to quickly sort through enormous amounts of data and make decisions or predictions.
The next level of AI used in hearing aids is typically called deep neural network (DNN). DNN is a form of AI designed to mimic the neural habits of the brain and respond the same way your brain would respond, without being explicitly programmed how to react to a given situation.
With these two concepts in mind, let’s take a look at when AI was first used in hearing aids.
The First Hearing Device to Use AI
The first digital hearing device was produced in 1996 by Widex called Senso. The Senso boasted fully automatic digital adjustment designed to filter out unwanted noise. The device was fitted to the needs of an individual user by their clinician and had its own built-in audiometer.
Senso, though technically not an AI hearing device, led a rush in the hearing industry to integrate AI into hearing aids, which did not come to fruition until 2004. Oticon Syncro was the first hearing aid to use AI in its voice priority processing (VPP) system.
You could say that since the development of Oticon Syncro, the rest is history.
How Do Hearing Aids Use AI?
Wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) allowed hearing aids to begin making a few decisions based on what they heard. This technology made it possible for hearing aids to listen and sort incoming sound.
Listening to incoming sound allows your hearing aids to apply machine learning algorithms to determine which environment you are in and then adjust your hearing aids to the programmed settings for that environment. This is a very basic level of AI used in hearing aids.
AI technology in hearing aids goes deeper when it applies deep neural networking. Since DNN is designed to mimic how your brain processes sound, this AI technology adapts to your specific hearing needs as you move from one environment to another.
Here are some of the features often found in hearing aids that use AI technology:
Adaptive Sound Adjustment:
AI algorithms can enable hearing aids to automatically adjust to different sound environments, enhancing speech while reducing background noise.
Personalization:
AI can analyze individual hearing profiles, including audiograms, lifestyle, and preferences, to tailor the hearing aid’s performance to the user’s specific needs.
Real-Time Learning:
AI-powered hearing aids can learn from the sounds they process daily, making millions of fine-tuning adjustments in real time to optimize the listening experience.
Health Tracking:
Some AI hearing aids can also track fitness and health metrics, adding extra value to the device.
Language Translation:
Advanced AI hearing aids may offer real-time language translation, making communication in different languages easier.
For AI to be effective at providing an added boost to your hearing, calculations must be near instantaneous. Starkey’s Genesis AI hearing aids deliver over 80 million sound analyses and automatic optimizations every hour (over a 1.3 million per minute, or more than 22,000 per second).
The Human Touch Still Reigns Supreme
This article just scratches the surface of how artificial intelligence is impacting and will continue to impact hearing aids. While I’ll be the first to admit that AI technology in hearing aids is pretty amazing, making wearing hearing aids far more convenient, the human touch still reigns supreme.
The most successful better hearing outcomes are linked to the quality of hearing care you receive, rather than to the device in your ear. The best way to understand this is by thinking of a hearing aid as a tool used to build something—in this case, better hearing.
A hearing care professional helps guide you toward the right tool as well as how to use it. Our professionals consider your degree of hearing loss using a comprehensive hearing assessment, which includes understanding your lifestyle and personal preferences.
The fitting process uses the information we have about you in order to select a hearing device that meets your needs and is comfortable for you to wear, which is why we provide you with a wide range of models from eight of the world’s top hearing aid manufacturers.
If your hearing care provider stopped there, it would be far more frightening than the takeover of AI robots. Fortunately, at Port Credit Audiology & Hearing Aid Clinic, we don’t.
Our human touch involves ongoing care to help your hearing aid tool work for you, including:
- Counseling while you adjust to your new device
- Programming adjustments to optimize how your hearing aids serve you
- Troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair
- Custom earmolds to improve comfort
- Adjustments and apps to address tinnitus symptoms
- Professional earwax removal
Find out why the human touch still reigns supreme in the fast-moving world of hearing technology by contacting us online using this link or giving us a call at (905) 990-3755.