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Respeecher's AI Voice Cloning: Revolutionizing Voice Restoration for Laryngectomy Patients

On July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Eagle landing module and set foot on the surface of the moon, becoming the first person to walk on its surface. The next moment he uttered the famous phrase "That’s one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind." On July 21, the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to the Eagle module, closed the hatch, and took off from the surface of the moon to the spacecraft with which they would dock before heading home. On July 24, 1969, Apollo 11 successfully landed in the Pacific Ocean. It was the first of five successful flights to the moon.

But imagine if the landing on the moon’s surface would have ended completely differently…

As it turns out, the United States government had already considered such a scenario and prepared a special speech that former US president Richard Nixon was intended to read in the event of the mission’s failure. Luckily, he never had to read it.

But in 2020, the world was introduced to the short documentary film In Event of Moon Disaster. The film was honored with the Emmy Award for Interactive Media Documentary in an online ceremony on September 29, 2021. And in this documentary, we can see and hear Nixon informing the world of the disastrous failure of Apollo's moon landing mission.

How and why was it made?

 

The Idea

Of course, this was not a real documentary. The film was made using deepfake technology. It allowed for the creation of both an alternate reality where one of humanity’s most epic achievements ends in disaster, and a warning to viewers of the dangers of deepfakes.

The idea, in the beginning, was to address misinformation and disinformation," said Pakinam Amer, a senior writer on the project.
"We wanted to create an alternate history to show the impact of creating a convincing version of reality, one that wasn’t necessarily true," she adds.

The film uses AI to explore an imagined reality where Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin die while on their mission to the Moon. 

 

The Challenge

The film is based on archival footage from NASA and takes viewers on a journey aboard Apollo 11. The film is made in a way that makes viewers think that the spacecraft malfunctioned and crashed. 

Editing the video didn’t require advanced skills and technology. But the main part of the film featuring Richard Nixon’s speech had to be delivered from the White House.

The most critical part of the project was to create a realistic digitally manipulated Nixon that could speak naturally, with his own voice.

This is where Respeecher stepped in to lend a hand. 

 

The Implementation

 

The film was co-directed by Francesca Panetta and Halsey Burgund at the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality. The digital Richard Nixon was created by Tel Aviv-based Canny AI. And the voice of the 37th President was generated by Respeecher's engineers.

To ensure every detail came out in the best way possible, Respeecher needed two things:

1. Old recordings of Richard Nixon’s voice.
2. A recording of the script the President never actually delivered.

MIT hired an actor to impersonate Nixon's speaking style, pronouncing certain words longer than others and making strategic pauses to add solemnity.

Using a deep neural net, Respeecher's engineers added Nixon's vocal timber on top of the actor's performance, thus creating a deepfake audio recording. To anyone listening, the synthetic voice sounds natural and is indistinguishable from the original.

Unlike text-to-speech conversions, which often sound artificial, Respeecher's technology helps preserve emotional speech patterns. 

"Our goal was to make the quality on that level where it would be satisfactory for high-demanding sound professionals in Hollywood," says Alex Serdiuk, CEO of Respeecher

The full deepfake speech can be viewed at Moondisaster.org

 

Dangers of a Deepfake Reality

As previously mentioned, the project was not just an opportunity to do something really cool with advanced technology, but also to showcase some of the hidden dangers of these technologies.

Deepfakes and voice cloning raises a number of ethical questions. In Event of Moon Disaster reveals the impact of technology on the spread of disinformation among the masses.  

In order to prevent such cases, Respeecher created a set of rules both they and their clients should follow. 

  1. Respeecher does not allow any use of our technology that can be interpreted as deceptive.

  2. Respeecher does not use voices without permission when this could impact the privacy of the subject or their ability to make a living.

  3. Respeecher does not provide any public API for creating new voices.

  4. Respeecher works directly with clients we trust.

  5. Respeecher requires written consent from voice owners.

  6. Respeecher only approves projects that meet our strict standards.

  7. Respeecher is developing watermarking technology that allows us to easily tell Respeecher-generated content from other content, even if it is disguised by being mixed in with other audio.

We believe that technology isn’t inherently bad. When used properly, technology can produce amazing results that inspire everyone around us.

FAQ

Voice synthesis technology involves the use of artificial intelligence to generate human-like speech. It converts text into speech, replicating natural tone, inflection and cadence. This technology, such as Respeecher’s, is especially beneficial for restoring voices lost due to medical conditions and enhancing communication for speech-impaired individuals.

AI voice cloning uses machine learning models to analyze and replicate a person’s unique voice characteristics, such as pitch, tone and speech patterns. By training on existing voice recordings AI systems like Respeecher voice synthesis can recreate a person's voice for speech restoration to help improve speech intelligibility.

Voice restoration for laryngectomy patients include electrolarynx devices, tracheoesophageal prostheses (TEP) and AI-driven voice synthesis technologies. AI voice cloning, like Respeecher’s, offers an innovative solution by providing clear and natural-sounding speech, improving communication for laryngectomy patients compared to traditional voice prosthesis technologies.

Speech disability solutions, including AI voice synthesis and prosthetic technologies, can greatly enhance communication by providing individuals with clear, natural-sounding speech. These innovations, like those from Respeecher, restore the ability to communicate effectively, helping patients with speech impairments maintain social and professional relationships.

Alternatives to the electrolarynx include tracheoesophageal prosthesis (TEP) and AI voice cloning. While TEP offers more natural-sounding speech, AI voice synthesis technologies, like Respeecher, provide an even higher level of clarity and emotional nuance, offering patients a better communication experience post-laryngectomy.

AI contributes to speech therapy by offering tools like voice cloning and synthesis technology that help restore speech for individuals with speech disabilities. These solutions can be tailored to meet patients’ needs, enhancing articulation and tone, and assisting in speech rehabilitation for those with conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), laryngectomy and more.

Post-laryngectomy voice restoration refers to efforts made to help patients regain the ability to speak after losing their voice due to cancer or trauma. Solutions include the use of prosthetic devices and AI-driven voice synthesis, which restores intelligible and natural-sounding speech, as can be seen in Respeecher’s voice cloning.

Respeecher’s voice synthesis technology assists laryngectomy patients by converting their electrolarynx or tracheoesophageal speech into clearer, more natural-sounding voices. This technology enhances speech intelligibility, making communication easier and more effective, which is crucial for individuals struggling with traditional prosthetic solutions.

Voice prosthesis technology includes devices like the electrolarynx and tracheoesophageal prosthesis (TEP), which help individuals regain the ability to speak. These devices produce speech, though often with mechanical-sounding voices. AI voice synthesis technologies offer the quality and clarity of the speech and can be considered electrolarynx alternatives.

Enhancing communication for speech-impaired individuals include speech disability solutions like AI voice synthesis and prosthetic technologies. Tools like Respeecher’s AI voice cloning enable individuals to speak more naturally and clearly, significantly improving their ability to interact socially, professionally and personally, despite speech impairments.

Glossary

Voice Synthesis Technology

AI-driven innovation that replicates human speech, enabling voice restoration for laryngectomy patients, enhancing communication and improving speech disability solutions.

AI Voice Cloning

A technology that replicates human voices using AI, aiding in voice restoration for laryngectomy patients, enhancing speech disability solutions and improving communication.

Voice Restoration

The process of recovering natural speech for individuals, especially post-laryngectomy, using AI voice cloning and voice synthesis technology to enhance communication.

Laryngectomy

A surgical procedure to remove the larynx, often requiring voice restoration solutions like AI voice cloning, prosthesis technology and speech disability solutions.

Speech Disability Solutions

Solutions like AI voice cloning, voice prosthesis technology and post-laryngectomy restoration that enhance communication for speech-impaired individuals and support voice recovery.

Voice Prosthesis

A device used to restore speech after laryngectomy, often enhanced by voice synthesis technology and AI, offering speech disability solutions and post-laryngectomy restoration.

Electrolarynx

A device used by laryngectomy patients to aid speech, often improved with voice synthesis technology and AI, offering speech disability solutions and post-laryngectomy restoration.

Speech Therapy

A treatment that uses voice synthesis technology, AI and voice prosthesis technology to assist laryngectomy patients and enhance communication for speech-impaired individuals.

Post-Laryngectomy Voice Restoration

Process of using voice synthesis technology and AI voice cloning to restore speech for laryngectomy patients and enhancing communication for speech-impaired individuals.

Communication Enhancement

Leveraging voice synthesis technology and AI voice cloning to improve speech for individuals with speech disabilities, aiding voice restoration and communication efficiency.

 

How Respeecher Improves Voice Cloning for
Historical and Medical Applications

Respeecher’s innovative voice synthesis technology is transforming communication for speech-impaired individuals, including post-laryngectomy voice restoration and speech disability solutions.

  • Voice Synthesis Technology for
    Speech Restoration

    Respeecher’s AI voice cloning technology is at the forefront of voice restoration for laryngectomy patients. By leveraging advanced voice synthesis technology, Respeecher enables individuals who have lost their voice due to medical conditions to regain their ability to communicate naturally. This innovation plays a crucial role in enhancing communication for speech-impaired individuals providing them with a new sense of confidence.

  • Post-Laryngectomy Voice Restoration
    with AI

    For patients who undergo laryngectomy, voice prosthesis technology and electrolarynx alternatives have traditionally been the go-to solutions. However, Respeecher takes voice restoration a step further by offering a more personalized and natural approach. By using AI-driven voice synthesis technology, Respeecher replicates the original tone and emotional expression of a person’s voice, providing a clearer and more authentic-sounding voice for patients recovering from laryngectomy.

  • Speech Disability Solutions with AI in
    Speech Therapy

    AI in speech therapy offers new hope for patients with speech disabilities, including those who have lost their voices due to medical conditions like cancer or neurological disorders. Respeecher’s technology allows for the creation of customized synthetic voices that match the user’s original voice, helping them to regain the ability to communicate effectively. With the use of Respeecher’s speech synthesis for artists and therapy applications, the possibilities for individuals seeking speech recovery have expanded significantly.

  • AI-Driven Voice Cloning and
    Ethical Considerations

    Respeecher’s AI-powered voice cloning technology is revolutionizing the entertainment and medical industries. While voice cloning technology is an incredibly powerful tool, it raises important ethical considerations. Respeecher is committed to ethical use, ensuring that voice cloning technology is only used with proper consent and for legitimate purposes. The company’s strict guidelines ensure the responsible use of their groundbreaking synthetic voice technology. Respeecher’s technology is transforming how people with speech disabilities communicate while safeguarding against misuse in other applications.

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Clients:
Lucasfilm
Blumhouse productions
AloeBlacc
Calm
Deezer
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Edward Jones
Ylen
Iliad
Warner music France
Religion of sports
Digital domain
CMG Worldwide
Doyle Dane Bernbach
droga5
Sim Graphics
Veritone