The Synergy of Hearing Aids and AI

When somebody mentions artificial intelligence (AI), it might conjure thoughts of your favorite sci-fi movie. But these days, AI is more science than fiction. This is especially true with regard to hearing aids. The days when hearing aids simply amplified the volume and were one-size-fits-all are gone forever. AI is at the root of contemporary hearing aids.

What is artificial intelligence?

AI is a sophisticated computer algorithm that uses data inputs to generate new results. In doing this, AI algorithms take part in a type of learning, aptly called “machine learning”. When the algorithm is working correctly, there’s no need to “program” the AI to produce each individual result.

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

How can you hear better with AI?

At first, this may seem a little abstract. After all, hearing aids seem to have a fairly basic function. How can adding AI to the situation enhance things? Well, you know that row of big dials and buttons that people utilize to mix music in recording studios? (You’ve likely seen them in movies.) Your hearing aid contains one of those! (It’s minuscule.) Better sound quality can be attained by modifying these settings. With hearing aids that are powered by AI, these settings are adjusted automatically without needing you to do anything.

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

This is the same technology that lets streaming services suggest movies according to your viewing history, though it most likely sounds like space-aged technology at first. AI is also found in cars and the emails auto-sorted into your inbox. These devices become more proficient at making appropriate choices the more you use them.

New advancements in AI hearing aids

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

• Edge mode: This is a user initiated, AI assist mode. Essentially, 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 walk into has its own unique acoustic characteristics. Some of those properties are helpful for your hearing aids; some are bad for your hearing aids. You will hear better in nearly any environment with AI technology making effective automatic adjustments.
• Noisy room filters: If you’re in a setting that has a lot of echoes, or is overly loud, new AI technology algorithms can filter out room noise. A hearing aid can have a difficult time with cross-talk, for instance. But with an AI filtering out non-essential information, you’ll be able to hear more clearly what the person across from you is saying, even in a crowded or noisy environment.
• Helping you hear through facemasks: Conversations were undoubtedly tougher during the pandemic when everybody was wearing a facemask. AI algorithms can automatically amplify those voices behind the facemask, helping individuals with hearing aids hear better and stay safe at the same time.

This is probably only the start of the developments scientists and manufacturers are making.

How is AI utilized in the field of audiology?

These days, AI has sort of become a bit of a buzzword. Depending on the application, AI does different things, which can occasionally result in confusion. So when it comes to the field of audiology, how does AI fit in.

Making hearing aids even more helpful for patients is one of the first and most evident things that researchers are tackling. This research includes new technologies, like deep neural networks and machine learning. But it’s not 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 find artificial intelligence in more of their devices.

AI-assisted hearing aids and their advantages

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

• Helping you listen to devices: Your hearing aid can get feedback from a wide variety of devices, like televisions, cell phones, speaker phones, and a range of other devices. Machine learning algorithms can help by filtering out this feedback, so all you hear is the sound you really want to hear.
• Health tracking and fall prevention: If you happen to fall while you’re wearing your hearing aids, your AI-assisted devices may be capable of detecting the significance and severity of your tumble. In some cases, these hearing aids might be programmed to automatically notify authorities or loved ones in the event of a major fall. Should you be hydrating more, exercising more, eating better? AI can make your health information easier to interpret.
• Social engagement: Studies have shown that people who use AI-assisted hearing aids are more successful in terms of managing their social involvement. This is likely 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 preserve the relationships they already have.
• 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 quality of sound users hear will be more in their control. And this normally means hearing better more often.

How does this impact patients?

For people with AI-assisted hearing aids these benefits frequently lead to real-world advantages. Imagine you were at a party having a conversation. If you were using an older-style hearing aid, it would just crank the volume up. This isn’t useful because the conversation you actually care about will get drowned out by background noise. With AI, the hearing aid can tune in to the noise around you and react the way your brain would, dulling background noise and focusing on your friends’ voices.

AI will create a location-by-location algorithm to address the various kinds of sounds it picks up. If you return to a specific location or sound profile, AI can activate these algorithms. In order to better define and amplify important sounds, some AI hearing aids are programmed with day-to-day sounds.

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

• Your brain will have a reduced cognitive load.
• You will have improved quality of life.
• You won’t be frustrated because you can’t hear (at least, not as frequently).

In other words, it’ll be simpler 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 most hearing aids until recent times. An algorithm is, in fact, a complex math equation. However, partially because of the preponderance of the technology, prices for AI hearing devices are beginning to go down.

That isn’t saying that those hearing aids will definitely come down in price soon and you still might wind up choosing a model that doesn’t have AI capabilities. Obviously, 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 readily available.

Figuring out what option is best for you

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

For someone who uses traditional hearing aids and still gets exhausted easily in social scenarios, AI hearing aids would be really helpful. Social situations are easier and the user will feel less exhausted with AI hearing aids. AI technology can also send alerts to your phone when the doorbell rings, alert others that you have fallen, and track your steps. As technology and AI improve, hearing aids will continue to as well.

Want to find out how AI hearing aids can work for you? Make an appointment with us right away.