AI-powered communication solution for people living with ALS revealed at Lenovo Tech World

Last October 15, at Lenovo Tech World ’24, global technology leader Lenovo and the Scott-Morgan Foundation (SMF), a non-profit pioneering innovative assistive tech, revealed an AI-powered solution for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other severe disabilities.

The new, scalable tech reveals new possibilities for applying generative AI to accessibility challenges and further advances a shared vision of delivering Smarter AI for all.

The integrated solution combines a circular keyboard interface designed by SMF and built by Lenovo, predictive AI from Lenovo, personalized AI voice replicas from ElevenLabs, hyper-realistic avatars from D-ID, and eye-tracking tech from IrisBond to provide fast, accurate, and personal communication.

The proof of concept, now in active testing with SMF’s community of people with ALS and leading clinicians, builds on years of collaboration between SMF and Lenovo to reimagine and scale assistive technology. Focusing on ALS, a neurodegenerative disorder that typically leads to full-body paralysis, inspires solutions that benefit countless other diseases and disabilities.

Lenovo Tech World opened with a story of a father recently diagnosed with ALS using the technology to tell stories and sing lullabies to his two young children in his own voice.

AI Lullaby Video:

“This is Smarter AI for All: applying transformative technologies to the most pressing human challenges,” said Linda Yao, Vice President of AI Solutions and Services at Lenovo. “With compassionate partners like the Scott-Morgan Foundation and a bold vision to bring AI to everyone, we are using our AI expertise and portfolio to show how bright the future can be.”

The collaboration emerged from the SMF mission to break down barriers between technologies and democratize life-changing solutions that ensure a universal right to thrive. “We live in a world where over half a billion people are silenced, not by choice, but by disability,” said LaVonne Roberts, Executive Director of SMF. “Imagine a world where even the most severely disabled individuals can fully express themselves, where cutting-edge technology gives voice to the voiceless. We’re not just imagining this world—we’re building it together with Lenovo. With over 500 million people worldwide grappling with muscular or neurological conditions, our work has the potential to impact lives on a massive scale.”

Live at Lenovo Tech World

Erin Taylor, a disability advocate and botany enthusiast with ALS, used the technology to introduce herself and then welcome Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang to the stage at Tech World.
“I find renewed strength and hope when I see what is possible through technology, especially with the latest advances in AI,” said Erin, who shares her experiences and perspective with a rapidly growing social media audience. “Speaking with my voice as it sounded pre-diagnosis is incredible, of course, but what excites me most is participating in the development of smarter technology for others.”

Erin also helped demo the technology on the show floor and continues to offer key feedback to the development team.

Building on early designs first unveiled at CES 2024, Lenovo spearheaded the development of a fully functional, fully integrated prototype.

“We prioritized human-centric design and leveraged our expertise in innovative user experiences,” said Lenovo UX prototyper Daniel Pollock, who led the interface development. “It’s an absolute privilege to contribute and collaborate on this project and incorporate such powerful AI technology.”

Building a consortium of AI innovation

Traditional voice banking is an arduous process, often limited by the vocal deterioration that can emerge as an early symptom of ALS. Past models also suffered from a clear lack of emotional expressiveness, limited to robotic cadences and unnatural rhythms—but AI has changed all that. Now, limited audio samples, even of poor quality, can generate a compelling, on-demand AI voice.

“Over the past year, we’ve been deeply inspired by individuals reclaiming their voices despite all the challenges, and we’re grateful for the chance to play a small part in that process,” said Mati Staniszewski, CEO of ElevenLabs. “Now, with the incredible support of the Scott-Morgan Foundation, we’re taking these efforts to the next level. We’re proud to help remove communication barriers and empower people.”

That customized voice feeds directly into the avatar technology from D-ID. Again, scalability and ease are a priority with assistive tech, and D-ID is able to generate lifelike avatars from still photos or very limited video.

“This powerful technology is so often used for business or entertainment—which of course we love to see and support—but promoting social good is where we see it make a lifechanging impact. D-ID has a long track record of leveraging its technology to help worthy causes such as combatting domestic violence, raising awareness of sex trafficking, and numerous education and advocacy efforts,” said Gil Perry, co-founder and CEO of D-ID. “Working with this collaboration perfectly fits our strategy of using AI to make the world better and more connected.”

The complete solution currently runs on Lenovo’s ThinkPad x12 detachable PC, which offers an ideal union of power and portability. The detachable form factor helps the device mount readily on a variety of surfaces—from kitchen tables to wheelchairs—and integrate IrisBond’s eye-tracking hardware and software. Here, IrisBond used their Hiru camera, which works across platforms and under different conditions to precisely track eye movement. Lenovo is also developing more personalized AI models to facilitate communication.

“We’ve been working with SMF for a few years to help disrupt the assistive tech landscape and give people greater agency and independence,” said Eduardo Jauregui Torrecilla, CEO of IrisBond. “We have a history of hands-on support and development for people with ALS, cerebral palsy, and countless conditions where the eye is our greatest tool to communicate—and AI is transforming what’s possible in extraordinary ways.”

The Scott-Morgan Foundation will work directly with clinicians, technologists, and people with ALS to further refine and test the technology.

This solution was one of the dreams of visionary roboticist Dr. Peter Scott-Morgan, who passed in 2022. At the time, rendering an avatar or speaking with a banked voice was time-consuming, expensive, resource-intensive, and far less expressive and accurate than what’s possible with generative AI.

“The technology has leapt forward immeasurably in just the past two years, driven by AI,” said Andrew Morgan, CEO of the Scott-Morgan Foundation. “We have always believed that AI is the gateway for a revolution in assistive technology, but we need to bang the drum and advocate for these solutions—to give a voice to those who need it most and include them in the process. We are still in uncharted territory, and I can’t wait to see what solutions we pioneer and democratize next.”