In 2023, US Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), which led to her losing her voice in April 2023 while she was in office.
Wexton began speaking on the House floor in May through a standard text-to-speech program as her voice deteriorated. Despite sounding robotic, she relied on this method to communicate for speeches, interviews, and to carry out her duties.
ElevenLabs, a start-up software company that uses one of the most popular AI-powered voice cloning algorithms to produce natural-sounding speech synthesis, took on the challenge of cloning her digital voice.
In a matter of days, the company developed an AI model utilizing over an hour of her previous speeches and public appearances before the illness. It resembled Wexton’s voice from before her diagnosis almost exactly.
In her testimony, the congresswoman expressed her astonishment at their ability to capture the essence of her voice. She went on to say that this AI voice model had given her a fresh chance to be heard.
Wexton’s speech on July 25, 2024, was the first time an AI cloned voice was used on the House floor.
