Montreal woman with ALS hears her own voice again thanks to AI app

Montreal resident Anne-Marie Poirier, afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), has regained her voice through an artificial intelligence (AI) application called Vocality. ALS is a progressive neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to speak, swallow, and eventually breathe. Poirier, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2025, had lost her voice in October of the same year.

Vocality allows her to transform a few keywords into complete sentences, which are then spoken in a voice that closely resembles her own.

Developed by Montreal-based entrepreneurs Thomas Houlachi and David Ruiz, Vocality uses AI technology specifically designed for individuals with speech impairments. The app learns a user's vocabulary and expressions over time, enabling them to communicate more efficiently. The technology behind the synthetic voice employed by Vocality is developed by AI company ElevenLabs, allowing for a high-quality replication of the user's voice.

Poirier has expressed her gratitude for the application, stating that using Vocality has given her a renewed sense of vitality and made her feel more alive. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is an incurable disease that gradually destroys nerve cells responsible for voluntary movement. As the disease progresses, patients may lose their ability to walk, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe, while their cognitive abilities remain largely unaffected.

Vocality is compatible with eye-tracking equipment, enabling users with limited mobility to select words and phrases by moving their eyes, rather than their fingers. The application has already been adopted by over 100 individuals across North America and is available for download on iPhones, iPads, and Android devices.