AI and Hearing Aids – the Synergy

You may think of your favorite sci-fi movie when someone starts talking about artificial intelligence (AI). But nowadays, AI is more science than fiction. With regard to hearing aids, this is especially true. Gone is the time of one-size-fits-all hearing aids that merely raise the volume of sounds around you. AI is at the root of contemporary hearing aids.

What is artificial intelligence?

AI is a complex computer algorithm that makes use of data inputs to produce new results. AI is able to use an algorithm to participate in a type of learning known as “machine learning”. Once the algorithm is working properly, there’s no need to “program” the AI to generate each individual result.

In the instance of hearing aids, AI algorithms can help your hearing aids adjust to your personal needs based on your behaviors, lifestyle, habits, and level of hearing loss. Your hearing aids will be more effective at improving your ability to hear as a result.

How can AI help hearing aids work better?

At first, this might seem a little abstract. After all, hearing aids appear to have a rather basic function. How can adding AI to the mix improve things? Well, picture a recording studio with the soundboard full of buttons and knobs. (You’ve most likely seen them in movies.) Your hearing aid contains one of those! (It’s minuscule.) Adjusting these settings can deliver better sound quality. AI-powered hearing aids change these digital dials and switches automatically, enhancing the way you hear without any effort by you.

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

This is the same technology that allows streaming services to suggest movies based on your viewing history, though it probably sounds like futuristic technology at first. AI is also found in cars and the emails auto-sorted into your inbox. These devices become more expert at making appropriate choices the more you use them.

New improvements in AI hearing aids

These days, hearing aids are integrating several brand new improvements in AI to help you hear even better. Some of the most relevant examples include the following:

• Acoustic environment classification: Unique audio properties come with each individual room you go into. Some of those qualities are helpful for your hearing aids; some are bad for your hearing aids. With AI technology, your hearing aid can effectively make automatic adjustments that let you hear better in nearly any environment.
• Noisy room filters: New AI algorithms can help to filter out room noise in a variety of loud or echo-prone locations. A hearing aid can have a hard time with cross-talk, for instance. But even in a noisy setting, you’ll be capable of hearing more clearly what the individual across from you is talking about as AI filters out unwanted information.
• Helping you hear through facemasks: Conversations were undoubtedly tougher during the pandemic when everyone was wearing a facemask. You can remain safer and hear better simultaneously as AI algorithms can amplify the voice behind the facemask.
• Edge mode: This is an assist mode which can be initiated by the user. Essentially, when you have a difficult time hearing, you can activate something known as Edge Mode. When this is triggered AI will start working on cleaning up what you’re hearing.

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

AI for the field of audiology

AI has become a bit of a buzzword these days. Everyone’s heard it, which is okay, but the trouble is that AI does different things depending on the contexts. So, what does AI mean for the discipline of audiology?

Making hearing aids even more beneficial for patients is one of the first and most obvious things that researchers are working on. New technologies, like machine learning and deep neural networks, are a big part of this research. But it isn’t just hearing aids. In the future, AI might be able to help with detecting hearing loss or even helping patients prevent future hearing loss.

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

The advantages of AI-assisted hearing aids

AI is being incorporated into hearing aids not because it’s the popular new fad, in contrast to other industries. These machine learning algorithms offer some considerable advantages to patients. Here are a few of those benefits:

• Helping you listen to devices: Microphones from cell phones, speaker phones, televisions, and other array 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: If you happen to fall while you’re wearing your hearing aids, your AI-assisted devices might be capable of detecting the significance and severity of your tumble. In the event of a severe fall, these hearing aids can, in some cases, notify the Authorities. Should you be hydrating more, exercising more, eating better? AI can make your health data easier to understand.
• You have more control over how you hear: Many AI-assisted hearing aids give you the option to turn those algorithms on or off. So the clarity of sound users hear will be more in their control. And this normally means hearing better more frequently.
• Social engagement: Studies have shown that individuals who use AI-assisted hearing aids are more successful when it comes to dealing with their social involvement. This is probably because the speech they hear is clearer in a larger number of settings. But that doesn’t automatically mean AI will make-or-break your social life. It probably just helps people better maintain the relationships they already have.

What this means for patients

These benefits frequently become real-world advantages for people with these AI-assisted hearing aids. Imagine you are having a conversation at a party. If you had an older-style hearing aid, it would just boost the volume up. And unfortunately, background noise also gets boosted making it difficult to hear voices. An AI hearing aid is intelligent and will be capable of identifying and boosting a person’s voice while dulling undesired noise.

AI will create a location-by-location program to deal with the various types of sounds it detects. If you return to a specific location or sound profile, AI can initiate these programs. In order to better define and amplify important sounds, some AI hearing aids are programmed with everyday sounds.

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

• The cognitive burden will be decreased.
• Your quality of life will get better.
• You won’t be aggravated because you can’t hear (at least, not as frequently).

In other words, it’ll be easier to hear your favorite shows, hang out with your favorite people, and take care of your favorite brain.

Cost vs. reward

Due to the costs, AI wasn’t offered in the majority of hearing aids until recently. An algorithm is, in fact, an intricate math equation. But prices are coming down, partially due to the prevalence of the technology.

That’s not saying that those hearing aids will definitely come down in price soon and you still may wind up wanting a model that doesn’t include AI capabilities. Obviously, patients will still have to make important choices. But AI features are becoming more widely available and common.

Finding out what choice is best for you

For someone who lives alone and doesn’t go out very much, hearing aids with AI might not be worth the added cost. But AI makes a huge difference for individuals who are socially active and go out into loud situations a lot.

For someone who uses traditional hearing aids and still gets exhausted easily in social situations, AI hearing aids would be really helpful. Social situations are simpler and the user will feel less tired with AI hearing aids. When the doorbell rings, or when you have a fall AI technology can alert you or a loved one and it can even track your steps. As technology and AI improve, hearing aids will continue to as well.

Want to see how AI hearing aids can help you? Make an appointment with us right away.