How Voice Cloning Is Helping People with MND — ElevenLabs Summit Warsaw 2026

[music] In 2024, 11 Labs identified a growing need among individuals with motor neuron disease, also known as M&D, and uncovered a use case for our technology that we never could have imagined. For those of you who may not be familiar, M&D is a neurodeenerative condition progressively affecting the nerves controlling muscle movement. Over time, many of these individuals lose their ability to walk, to use their hands, to eat, and to speak. Throughout all of this, their minds often remain fully intact. They still think, feel, and create as they always have, but their bodies no longer allow them to express it. If they cannot speak, these individuals communicate through various forms of assisted technology depending on their physical capabilities. And once they finish typing out that message, the voice that speaks the words has historically been a robotic generic textto-spech voice. It allows them to get their basic needs met, but not to be truly heard until they discovered 11 Labs. When individuals with M andd discovered our voice cloning technology, they came to us saying something we will never forget. They said they felt that they had been given a piece of their identity back. In the voice cloning process, we don't sand away the aspects that make someone's voice recognizable. Their stutter, their lisp, their laugh, their regional dialect. These are not imperfections to be removed. They are part of the whole unique person. And 11 Labs preserves that. Vocal identity is also not limited to one language. Many of us move between languages throughout the day with friends, at work, at home. We do not ask individuals to leave half of who they are out of their restored voice. They can use their voice clones in over 70 different languages, seamlessly switching between them in a voice that feels authentically theirs. What we found organically is that individuals with voice loss who were using 11 Labs weren't just communicating more. They were staying in their jobs longer, performing stand-up comedy, writing and producing audio books, renewing their vows, and reading stories to their grandchildren. Today, through the impact program, we have committed to giving back 1 million voices so that anyone with permanent voice loss, not just from M&D, but headneck cancer, stroke, cerebral palsy, and the speech therapists supporting them get free access to our tools for life. [applause] To date, we have empowered more than 10,000 free voices, and this is just the beginning. Today, I would like to take a few minutes to highlight one of the individuals at the heart of this work. I had a sense of calm and serenity there, but also a love of history. Everybody needs to know where they've come from and that continuity is important in life and if I can share that with me then realize their place in history that's a great joy and they look at me so cup of tea. Oh, I'm going to have to put it over there, though. I started as a history teacher in 1973. I absolutely loved it. Getting the kids to believe in themselves was my main aim. I have always had a a voice that had a command. I learned use it uh in different ways. So my voice has been my life. Now my voice is like an alien to me. This is not me. M andd is a very cruel thing anyway. But you can't realize it. It's ironic. It's been taken away but in a way given back because of the app to remember after 50 years of marriage what she sounded like. It was very emotional. Very easy to choose. I hang it around my neck when I'm actually on duty at the chapel. I've been asked a question. So, I have to answer it without my voice. So, I type in using the app and then I would press the button and it would speak my voice. Okay. What would you like to hear from them? If you stand in the nave and look up, you will see a beautiful stone vated ceiling. You will also see decorated bosses which conceal the joints where the ribs of the vaulted ceiling meet. There are 463 such bosses. They are carved in stone and were erected between 148. I feel joy. I can still do this volunteering without the app. Nobody on the planet could do the nights of the garter. Since 1528, the only external [music] addition has been the creation that technology could give you your voice back and allow you to continue what you love doing. She's always been the life and soul of the party. She's She's always been Irene. I I I say don't don't film this bit, but [laughter] her Don't start me off laughing as well. [music] I asked Irene's father for permission to marry her. [laughter] My father wanted him to marry a slot. I was from the south and didn't meet any of his uh requirements for his daughter. It it took Yes. It took a while for him to to accept me. Then he did come up to me after your ma said, "You've been the best thing for my daughter." He knew I was happy with soulmates and best friends. I know I marry the right person. I call him my hero. He's my hero. We're soulmates. I'm sorry you're having all this for me now. I'm don't really grow old together. Knowing there's nothing I can do about it is the most difficult part of this to accept. I don't know how I'm going to cope with her and I don't know how I'm going to cope without her. History is full of wonderful stories. I don't like imparting knowledge because the feeling of being worth something. I thought from then that life is about given. I want to continue to again I come. The video you just watched was made by Witness Films London in collaboration with my colleague Richard Cave, who spearheads the healthc care initiatives on our impact program and is also the speech therapist who has been working with Irene to bring her 11 Labs voice to life. So, thank you both. And now, please join me in welcoming to the stage Irene Parin. Um, I can confirm that my husband Martin makes a wonderful cup of tea. [laughter] So Irene, hello. Would you please introduce yourself to the audience? Hello ladies and gentlemen. My name is Irene. I was diagnosed with motor neuron disease in May 2024. It was a boat out of the blue as I have been very fit all my life. The first symptom I noticed was the deterioration in my speech. I was flaring my words and find it difficult to enunciate certain words and phrases. Eventually we were put in touch with wonderful Richard Cave who proposed me my voice and that was the best advice possible. He then told me about a company called 11 who would be able to reuse my voice using AI. I jumped at the opportunity and I'm so grateful that I can hear but I use that. What's something that people should know about your story that doesn't always make it into the conversation? Let's see if your voice clone jumps in. It's not working. All right, you're in for it. Okay, perfect. Yes, thanks. Thanks to my voice, I have been able to continue volunteering as a student at St. Jose's Chapel, Windsor Castle. I began there in 2007. I love interacting with the visitors. I have typed every possible answer uh to every possible question I can ask about the history of the chapel into my voice app. For example, when I'm asked about why is Henry the eight bur in the middle of the floor in the fire. I can press a button on my phone and my old head teachful voice comes through loud and clear with the answer. visitors respond so positively to the app. I've had tears, hopes, and much praise for carrying on despite my difficulties. You're doing amazing. Would you please tell us about the moment that you first heard your 11 Labs voice? Uh to be able to continue at St. George's Chapel means the world to me as teacher and a head teacher for 31 years. My voice has been my lifine. To have that stolen from you was so very cruel. I could simply give up. But to me, what little life I have left is worth living. To continue to build bodies and contribute to society in a meaningful way is so important for yourself and it continues to give me a purpose in Now, could you tell me about the first time you heard your 11 laps voice? When I heard my voice through my new recordes, my husband Martin and I were so very pleasantly surprised. I had my real voice back. It was a miracle. It was a very emotional experience. It gave me my identity back. Uh when I played my voice to a colleague at St. George's Chapel, she shed a few tears. The real Irene was back in the room. [snorts] You provide such a great example of how someone can continue to do such important and meaningful and valuable work even once your voice has changed. What advice would you give to someone who's going through that experience or to the people who are employing them? to those in a society who are on a similar journey to me with no speech or serious speech. I would encourage them to try and recover their original voice through 11 voice banking technology. It's very very easy to give up on life. When you feel your identity, a mill from the millions have been stolen from them. It doesn't have to been away that you can still consume in a meaningful way with the voice either in employment from the children and leisure positions and in your personal life. Employees, friends and family need to see beyond the disability. I you exactly the way that did before your speech became an issue. Building off of that, what would inclusivity and true AI for good look like to you? Uh, true inclusion using II for good will mean that all those with speech difficulty or no voice would no longer be marginalized in society. They would be represented in every sphere of life on the equal footing with a bosom. No doors would be closed to them. No one would judge them because of their disinformation. Many assume you have the or had a few beers at the pub and treat you accordingly. Using our AI for the good will in our world dispel those myths. we've got audio so you can take a rest. To this audience of industry leaders and technology experts, are there any final words that you would like to leave them with? Oh, I have. My final words to you are, please continue to support AI for good. Voice cloning is a really wonderful start and there is more we could do. For example, there seems no technology support for understanding spontaneous conversation with severely impaired speech. And it would be a dream come true to have a solution to that challenge. And it has to be technology that can be used in any environment. In summary, I am very grateful for the philanthropic work of 11 Labs and in my experience, the quality of the professional team behind this is world class. I really cannot thank everyone involved enough. As my old headteer voice would say, shows great promise and capable of even greater achievements. It's very true. Thank you for sharing your voice and your voice with us today and your story. We will continue striving for true AI for good that takes into account the whole person and empowers them to continue thriving and sharing their light like you do. So, thank you. Thank you.