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Nagish Acquires Sign.mt to Drive Research in AI and Sign Language. Read the announcement
Hearing Loss
June 26, 2024
5 Min

Hearing Aids With Artificial Intelligence (AI): A New Era in Personalized Assistive Technology

AI seems to be built into everything, from medical devices to gaming. Now, AI has also entered hearing aid technology. Read more!

Author:
Nicole Brener
Hearing Aids With Artificial Intelligence (AI): A New Era in Personalized Assistive Technology
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AI seems to be built into everything, from engineering software to medical devices to gaming. As expected, AI has also entered hearing aid technology.

The integration of AI technology within hearing aids provides a user-centric approach designed to personalize the listening experience. Learn more about the new features and capabilities of AI-powered hearing aid devices.

Hearing Aids Integrate with Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Hearing aid devices are becoming smarter and more adaptive than ever before. 

These devices have evolved from providing sound amplification and enhancing speech to, most recently, delivering an increasingly personalized listening experience thanks to the integration of AI.

These recent advancements are helping hearing aid users feel more in tune with their environment while navigating life, almost as if they’re not wearing a hearing aid device.

The transformative impact of AI hearing aids allows people to focus more on conversations and surrounding sounds with fewer hands-on adjustments. For instance, AI-powered hearing aids can automatically adjust directional microphones and amplification settings, enriching the hearing experience instead of users having to fumble with their devices.

AI hearing aids also add a layer of personalization by learning to recognize users' environments and the people they engage with most, helping them grasp the auditory information that is most valuable to them. Imagine sitting with your spouse in a loud restaurant while your AI hearing aid prioritizes their voice to deliver clear sound.

AI technologies, including machine learning and deep neural networks (DNNs), are at the core of these advancements. These advanced algorithms enable hearing aids to learn and recognize user patterns, providing a seamless listening experience that adapts to any situation based on unique needs and preferences.

How Do AI Hearing Aids Work?

What sets AI hearing aids apart is their ability to dynamically adapt to the user and their sound environment, offering a unique and personalized experience that traditional hearing aids can't match.

Aside from offering common features like Bluetooth connectivity, long-lasting rechargeable batteries, and sleek designs, they can also automatically adjust their settings to optimize sound quality without any effort on your part.

With AI hearing aids, you can expect clearer, crisper sounds even as you transition from crowded, loud spaces into open-air environments. 

AI-powered hearing aids use advanced algorithms that continuously learn based on interactions and surroundings to refine your experience. This means that the more you wear your device, the more personalized the listening experience gets.

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Common Uses of AI in Hearing Aids

  • Adapting to your listening needs: Your hearing aids can learn about your environment and daily routines to enhance the sounds that are most important to you.
  • Health tracking: Some hearing aids include integrated sensors that track your health progress and collect data such as daily step count, heart rate, and social interactions as well as detect falls.
  • Voice recognition: Your hearing aids can detect familiar voices from loved ones and colleagues to prioritize them over competing sounds.
  • Hearing muffled speech through a facemask: They can detect muffled speech from someone wearing a facemask, helping you hear them correctly.
  • Virtual Assistant: Some AI hearing aids are compatible with virtual assistant apps like Alexa or Siri, which you can use to set alarms and reminders or ask questions.
  • Real-Time Language Translation: Some hearing aids can connect to apps that can translate up to 27 languages in real time. 
  • Pair with AI-powered Apps: You may pair your device with AI-powered speech-to-text and text-to-speech phone apps like Nagish for highly accurate and instant captioning over phone calls and in-person conversations.

Popular AI Hearing Aids

AI hearing aids are setting the foundation for next-generation hearing aid capabilities, leading the industry into an exciting new era of accessibility, personalization, and integration. 

Currently, the most popular AI hearing aid brands in the market are:

  • Starkey Genesis AI
  • Widex Moment Sheer
  • Oticon Intent

Final Thoughts

As these new AI features continue to advance the outlook for hearing aid technology becomes even more promising. AI technology is helping hearing aids deliver effortless hearing, even in the most challenging environments, seamless integration and connectivity, and an intuitive user-centric experience.

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Nicole Brener

Copywriter based in Miami, FL. Leads copywriting workshops and mentors women entrepreneurs at the Idea Center of Miami Dade College.

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Hearing Aids With Artificial Intelligence (AI): A New Era in Personalized Assistive Technology

Key Findings

  • Workplace Impact: 62% of Deaf and 66% of Hard-of-Hearing individuals report that communication barriers hinder career mobility.
  • Healthcare Challenges: 62% of Deaf and 66% of Hard-of-Hearing individuals experience communication barriers in healthcare settings, contributing to delays in treatment.
  • Concerns About Emergency Communications: 20% of Deaf and 24.3% Hard-of-Hearing users also expressed serious concerns that communication barriers would prohibit them from contacting healthcare personnel in an emergency situation.
  • Independence Boost: Assistive technology nearly doubled rates of independence, with 60% of Deaf users and 63% of Hard-of-Hearing users reporting increased autonomy.
  • Emotional Strain: 55% of Deaf users and 83% of Hard-of-Hearing users reported emotional distress due to communication frustrations.
  • Social and Professional Opportunities: 46% of Deaf and 32.9% of Hard-of-Hearing users saw improved social and career prospects thanks to assistive technologies.

Empowering the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Through Technology: A New Era of Communication and Independence

At Nagish, we’ve seen firsthand just how much communication shapes daily life for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing communities. Our recent survey highlights the significant barriers they face in the workplace, healthcare settings, and in their social lives. But it also sheds light on a powerful solution: assistive technology. The results of this survey reinforce our commitment to empowering these communities and remind us why our mission matters: with access to the right tools, independence grows, opportunities expand, and well-being improves.

We collected data through a comprehensive survey involving over 300 individuals who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing and currently use hearing assistive technology. The survey included 179 Deaf and 140 Hard-of-Hearing participants, with data collected in an inclusive and accessible manner to ensure that everyone could participate and share their experiences without barriers.Communication Barriers in the Workplace: Limiting Career Mobility

Communication challenges in the workplace remain one of the most significant hurdles for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals, preventing them from fully realizing their career potential. Assistive technology offers a solution by removing these barriers and expanding access to a broader range of job opportunities and career growth.

Download the PDF Report

A majority of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing participants reported that communication barriers affected their career decisions, making it harder to pursue job opportunities or advance in their careers.

Deaf Participants

Hard-of-Hearing participants

65% of Deaf users rely on assistance from hearing individuals at least once a week to communicate effectively, which can limit their ability to fully engage in dynamic work environments.

Communication Barriers in Healthcare: A Matter of Public Safety
Communication challenges are not just a workplace issue — they extend into healthcare settings, where they can directly impact individuals’ health outcomes. Accessible communication tools are essential for ensuring that Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals can receive timely and accurate medical care, especially in emergency situations

Many Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users face communication barriers in healthcare settings, which can lead to missed appointments, misunderstandings about medical treatments, and delayed care.

Deaf users:

62%

Hard of Hearing users:

66%

Some Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users have concerns about reaching healthcare professionals in emergencies, highlighting serious public safety risks.

Deaf users

Hard-of-Hearing users

Empowering Independence Through Assistive Technology
One of the most encouraging findings from our survey is just how much independence is boosted with assistive technology. This improvement in independence is not just about doing things on their own; it’s about having the confidence and ability to engage fully in both professional and personal settings.

Assistive technology has significantly increased the independence of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users in managing daily tasks, showing clear improvements after adoption.

Deaf users

Hard-of-Hearing users

Expanding Social and Professional Opportunities
Beyond independence, assistive technology creates connection.By removing communication barriers that keep people from joining in socially or professionallyassistive technology allows users to engage more deeply in social activities and pursue career opportunities that were previously out of reach.

Assistive technology has helped Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users expand their social networks and professional opportunities, enabling new connections and career growth.

Emotional and Psychological Impact: The Hidden Toll of Communication Barriers
People often overlook the emotional and psychological toll of communication , but they can have a profound impact on the mental well-being of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals. Assistive technology can help alleviate this emotional strain, empowering users to communicate more effectively and reducing the anxiety associated with relying on others for basic communication.

A significant number of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users experience frustration and anxiety when communicating with family and friends, leading to isolation and stress.

Deaf users

Hard-of-Hearing users

Why This Matters: A Call for Widespread Adoption of Assistive Technologies
The findings from our survey are clear: communication barriers continue to limit the lives of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals in many areas, from the workplace to healthcare to their social lives. What’s also clear to us is that the question isn’t whether assistive technology helps—it’s how quickly we can make this powerful solution universally available.. By making these tools more accessible, we can open up new opportunities for individuals to thrive in their careers, maintain better health, and lead more independent lives.
At Nagish, we are committed to advocating for the integration of assistive technologies in all aspects of life. Whether it’s in healthcare, the workplace, or social settings, these technologies have the potential to create a more inclusive society where Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals can live fully empowered lives. 
Our hope is that these findings inspire not just awareness, but action. We hope this survey creates awareness and action in promoting accessibility and inclusion for these communities. Together, we can create a world where everyone, regardless of their hearing abilities, has equal access to opportunities and services.