AI helps woman,55, who lost speech to motor neuron disease
Yvonne Johnson, 55, from North London, lost her speech to motor neuron disease (MND) after being diagnosed almost six years ago.
Thanks to AI voice cloning by ElevenLabs, she got her natural-sounding voice back by March 2026.
The tech works by analyzing a minimum of about 30 minutes of someone's recorded speech—though ElevenLabs recommends substantially more (often one to three hours) for optimal, highly accurate clones—so it can read out anything typed in a way that sounds just like them.
Johnson has used her new voice for big moments
Johnson's family was moved to hear her "bubbly" personality return through the AI. Her daughter Kayla said it felt like "my mum was there."
Yvonne has since used her new voice for big moments, like reciting vows at her anniversary and speaking at events worldwide to raise awareness about MND.
This kind of tech could help anyone who's lost their voice keep their identity alive through AI.