Archive · 18 Aug 2025
AI Allows Paralyzed Woman To Speak Again After 18 Years
After 18 years of silence due to paralysis, Ann Johnson can speak again, thanks to amazing new technology!
Doctors implanted tiny sensors in her brain that read her thoughts about words.
Then, they used a special computer program (AI) to turn these thoughts into sounds, like a digital voice.
It's not perfect yet, but it's getting faster and sounds more natural.
Now, Ann can 'talk' to the world again!
Ann Johnson, paralyzed by a stroke in 2005, regained her voice through AI.
Researchers implanted electrodes in Johnson's brain to monitor speech-related activity.
AI decoded her brain signals and translated them into both audio and text.
Initial lag time of eight seconds has been reduced to approximately one second.
Johnson chose an avatar to represent her digital voice, giving it personality.
- Who
- Ann Johnson, a woman who suffered a stroke and lost her ability to speak, and researchers at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco.
- What
- A woman regained her ability to speak after paralysis using AI and a brain-computer interface.
- When
- After an 18-year period of being unable to speak, this technology was applied in the current time.
- Where
- The clinical trial took place at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco.
- Why
- To restore communication for individuals with paralysis and locked-in syndrome.
- Patient
- Ann Johnson
- Condition
- Locked-in syndrome due to a brainstem stroke
- Implant Location
- Speech-related brain region
- Technology Used
- Brain-computer interface and AI
- Initial Lag Time
- Up to 8 seconds
- Current Lag Time
- Approximately 1 second