AI and Hearing Aids – the Synergy

When somebody talks about artificial intelligence (AI), it might arouse thoughts of your favorite sci-fi movie. But today, AI is a reality that we all better get accustomed to. When it comes to hearing aids, this is particularly true. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all hearing aids that merely raise the volume of sounds around you. Modern-day, high-end hearing aids use AI.

Artificial intelligence – what exactly is it?

AI is a form of technology that utilizes sophisticated algorithms to produce new results from inputs of data. In doing this, AI algorithms engage in a type of learning, aptly called “machine learning”. With AI the user doesn’t have to program every specific result because the algorithm does that by itself.

In the case of hearing aids, AI algorithms can help your hearing aids adapt to your personal needs depending on your behaviors, lifestyle, habits, and level of hearing loss. Your hearing aids will be more effective at improving your ability to hear because of this.

How does AI help hearing aids work more effectively?

At first, this might seem a bit abstract. After all, hearing aids seem to have a fairly straightforward function. How can things be enhanced by adding AI to the mix? Well, you know that row of big dials and switches that people use to mix music in recording studios? (You’ve most likely seen them in movies.) There’s a tiny one of those inside of your hearing aid. Better quality of sound can be obtained by adjusting these settings. With hearing aids that are powered by AI, these settings are changed automatically without requiring you to do anything.

These smart devices use a rich neural network to emulate human brain responses. Without even being programmed to, these devices respond to real-time conditions because of this.

This is the same technology that lets streaming services recommend movies based on your viewing history, though it most likely sounds like futuristic technology initially. Newer cars utilize this technology to help you drive more safely and your email provider utilizes it to auto-sort emails into your inbox. The more you use these devices, the more reliable they become at making proper decisions.

New advances in AI hearing aids

Presently, hearing aids are incorporating multiple brand new advances in AI to help you hear even better. Some of the most relevant instances include the following:

• Helping you hear through facemasks: During the pandemic, everyone was wearing masks, which was good, but definitely made talking with a hearing aid more challenging. You can remain safer and hear better at the same time as AI algorithms can amplify the voice behind the facemask.
• Noisy room filters: If you’re in a setting that has lots of echoes, or is excessively loud, new AI technology algorithms can filter out room noise. Cross talk, for example, can often be difficult on a hearing aid. But even in a loud environment, you’ll be able to hear more clearly what the person across from you is talking about as AI filters out unwanted information.
• Edge mode: This is a user activated, AI assist mode. In essence, when you have a hard time hearing, you can activate something known as Edge Mode. This then triggers the AI algorithm and the algorithm will start working to make your hearing clearer.
• Acoustic environment classification: Every room you go into has its own unique acoustic characteristics. Some of those qualities are helpful for your hearing aids; some are bad for your hearing aids. With AI technology, your hearing aid can effortlessly make automatic adjustments that let you hear better in nearly any environment.

Hearing aid makers and scientists are constantly developing new hearing aid technologies, so this may be just the beginning.

How is AI employed in the discipline of audiology?

AI has become somewhat of a buzzword these days. Depending on the context, AI does different things, which can occasionally result in confusion. So with regard to the field of audiology, how does AI fit in.

First off, it means that researchers are looking for ways to make hearing aids even more helpful to patients. New technologies, including machine learning and deep neural networks, are a big part of this research. But hearing aids aren’t the whole story. Helping patients hear better and even diagnosing hearing loss are some things that AI will most likely do in the future.

As the technology expands and becomes more reliable, patients can expect to see artificial intelligence in more of their devices.

AI-assisted hearing aids and their advantages

Unlike some other industries, AI isn’t being integrated into hearing aids simply because it’s the popular new fad. Some significant benefits to patients are offered by these machine learning algorithms. Here are some of those benefits:

• Helping you listen to devices: Microphones from cell phones, speaker phones, televisions, and other myriad devices can cause your hearing aids to feedback. This feedback can be filtered out by machine learning algorithms so the sound you actually want to hear is the only sound you will hear.
• Health tracking and fall prevention: When you’re using a hearing aid and you take a fall, your AI-assisted device can detect the severity of your fall. In some situations, these hearing aids may be programmed to automatically alert authorities or loved ones in the event of a major fall. Should you be hydrating more, exercising more, eating healthier? AI can make your health data easier to understand.
• Social engagement: Studies have revealed that people who use AI-assisted hearing aids are more successful with regard to dealing with their social engagement. This is probably because the speech they hear is clearer in a larger number of environments. But that doesn’t automatically mean AI will make-or-break your social life. It probably just helps people better preserve the relationships they already have.
• You have more control over how you hear: You can turn on AI or turn it off with most AI-assisted hearing devices. So the quality of sound users hear will be more in their control. And this often means hearing better more frequently.

How does this impact patients?

These benefits frequently lead to real-world advantages for those with these AI-assisted hearing aids. Imagine you were at a party having a discussion. An older hearing aid would raise the volume on everything. And unfortunately, background noise also gets boosted making it difficult to hear voices. With AI, the hearing aid can listen to the noise around you and respond the way your brain would, lowering background noise and focusing on your friends’ voices.

AI learns to identify sounds and generates a location-by-location program. If you go back to a particular location or sound profile, AI can activate these programs. Other hearing aids with AI are programmed with day-to-day sounds in order to better identify and amplify important sounds.

Here are some other practical benefits to AI-assisted hearing aids:

• You will have improved quality of life.
• Your brain will experience a reduced cognitive burden.
• You will feel less aggravated because you will be able to hear better.

You will be able to hang out with friends again, watch your favorite shows, and take good care of your brain, in other words.

Cost vs. reward

There was a time when AI wasn’t available in the vast majority of hearing aids because of the costs involved. After all, the device itself must perform some intense calculations (an algorithm, after all, is essentially a very fancy math problem). But prices are coming down, partially due to the prevalence of the technology.

That isn’t saying that those hearing aids will absolutely come down in price soon and you still may wind up wanting a model that doesn’t include AI functionality. Clearly, the decision making is in the hands of the patient. But, it does mean that these AI-assisted features are becoming more prevalent and more widely available.

Figuring out what option is best for you

Hearing aids with AI might be overkill for someone who lives by themselves and stays put a lot. But AI makes a huge difference for individuals who are socially involved and go out into loud situations a lot.

Hearing aids with AI are also useful for somebody who is quickly worn out in social situations where the task of keeping up with conversations utilizing a traditional hearing aid is fatiguing. AI-powered hearing aids decrease the listener’s fatigue and make social situations more enjoyable. AI technology can also send alerts to your phone when the doorbell rings, alert others that you have fallen, and track your steps. Hearing aids will continue to improve as AI technology improves.

Want to see how AI hearing aids can work for you? Call us to schedule an appointment!