AI restores voice of Norwalk parks director with ALS
Norwalk Parks and Recreation director Robin Leaper lost her ability to speak due to ALS, but thanks to AI, she can talk again using her own voice.
Why it matters: The technology enables Leaper and potentially thousands of people like her to navigate the effects of the disease.
She now frequently speaks at city meetings or events and plans to continue working until late this year, the Indianola Independent Advocate reports.
Catch up quick: Leaper is a longtime employee of the metro park system who previously worked for the city of Des Moines, helping to establish its annual Snow Ball Dance and coordinate its Free Flicks outdoor summer movie series.
She was diagnosed with ALS — a rare neurodegenerative disease that eventually leaves people unable to move or breathe — in June 2023 and was told she would likely have two to five years to live.
How it works: Audio of Leaper speaking at city meetings was used to generate a library of words and phrases, allowing her to type with a computer-generated program and communicate in her voice.
The big picture: IIElevenLabs, the program's creator, partnered with multiple organizations last year to offer the technology for free to people with ALS.
U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Virginia) used it to help extend her work in Congress after being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder that's similar to ALS.
State of play: Leaper wants her story to draw more ALS awareness and advocacy to help find a cure.
There are currently dozens of promising treatments in trials, Josh Nuss, regional vice president of the ALS Association, told the Advocate.
What's next: Leaper aims to continue working through November to celebrate the first anniversary of Norwalk's fieldhouse, a recreation facility she helped plan.
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