Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just for computers anymore. In fact, it is rapidly transforming medical care today—including hearing technology. With the help of AI, today’s hearing aids have an astounding ability to help you hear more clearly and naturally—much like your brain does—and a whole lot more.
But before we get into that, let’s briefly talk about what AI really is, at its core:
While AI can feel like a big mysterious concept, it’s simply technology that learns from experience, just as humans do. AI can recognize patterns, make decisions, and even generate ideas once it has enough data. But where humans do that naturally (and over time), computers do it, well, artificially.
One of the most common ways AI learns is by studying huge amounts of data. This approach, called machine learning, helps computers spot patterns. For example, if you wanted a computer to recognize a dog in a picture, you’d show it thousands of images labeled “dog” and it would learn that dogs typically have fur, four legs, tails, and whiskers.
But things get trickier when the differences become more subtle—like telling a dog from a cat. Both have fur. Both have four legs. Both have tails and whiskers. But as we all know, cats and dogs are definitely not the same. That’s where deep learning comes in.
Deep learning uses layered “neural networks” that teach themselves over millions of small learning steps. You don’t have to tell the system what to look for; it figures it out naturally, much like a child learns by observing the world.
The most advanced AI, Generative AI, can create text, images, and other content, or predict things based on what it has learned. Text-based generative AI tools, for example, run on “large language models,” which are informed by large quantities of text data to shape language into sentences and identify the “most likely” response to an inquiry.
So, how is “AI” making hearing technology better—specifically, Starkey’s latest hearing aids, Omega AI?
In this blog, we’ll explain how AI technology works wonders in Starkey hearing technology to help you hear better and live better.
AI for better hearing
At Starkey, we utilize AI technology from a hearing health perspective to make our hearing aids more intuitive and sound more natural and personalized to you. Instead of simply making sounds louder, our technology analyzes the listening environment you are in (for example, whether it’s quiet, loud, or windy) and adapts the sound processing to focus on the sounds you want to hear, such as speech.
Our latest hearing aids, Omega AI, harness this innovation automatically and in real time by:
- Analyzing your listening environment to deliver an appropriate sound strategy for each moment
- Helping to distinguish speech from similar sounds for clearer conversations in challenging listening environments (like noisy restaurants or group gatherings)
- Automatically adjusting your hearing aid settings for listening comfort
- Helping you stay aware of important sounds around you while supporting clarity in conversations
The result: hearing that feels more natural, more personalized, and more connected with your surroundings—thanks to intelligent technology specially designed to support your everyday listening needs.
But along with this “instinctive” technology that supports better hearing—anytime, anywhere, and automatically—Omega AI offers intelligent features on demand that you can use to enhance not only your hearing experience, but also your overall wellness:
AI for on-demand hearing help
Anyone with hearing loss (regardless of whether you wear hearing aids) understands that unexpected listening challenges do happen: Imagine you’re at a restaurant or stadium event and suddenly voices or mechanical noise becomes louder, making it more difficult to hear. In situations like these, leveraging the “trained” AI of Omega AI’s Edge Mode+ feature can make all the difference.
With a tap or button-press of your hearing aid, or by using your My Starkey app, Edge Mode+ will scan your environment and, utilizing intelligence gleaned from millions of patterns and algorithms, instantly optimize speech clarity for listening comfort.
AI for health tracking
Artificial intelligence also helps make it possible to monitor your wellness through your hearing aids. AI works with embedded motion sensors in Omega AI hearing aids to track body movement, speed, and positioning. Again, using pattern recognition, not only can the devices tell what you are doing (whether it’s walking or standing) but also track the fitness activities themselves—for example, counting your steps.
The movement detected in the hearing aids is simultaneously interpreted by the My Starkey app, where you can view your progress, set goals, and more, on your smart device.
These same methods are also used in conjunction with Omega AI/My Starkey safety features such as fall detection and balance-building exercises.
Generative AI for instant solutions
Generative AI (or Gen AI, as we call it) technology is one of the trailblazing forces behind TeleHear AI—a My Starkey app feature designed to help you solve sound concerns independently.
Simply say or type out your sound issue to TeleHear AI. After discussing it with you in detail via chat screen, TeleHear AI will create an instant sound adjustment for you to try with your Omega AI hearing aids—based on the thousands of professional fittings the AI technology was trained on.
Easier yet, you can tell your Omega AI hearing aids to do things like change hearing aid programs; send you reminders (that will be streamed through your hearing aids); explain—in conversational detail—what the weather will be like tomorrow; and beyond.
Gen AI is also the hero to other real-time My Starkey app features such as Translate, which can interpret over 70 languages as text on your smartphone screen or audio through your hearing aids.
And the list goes on.
AI hearing aids—transforming hearing and everyday living
Hopefully this helps explain why AI is in Starkey hearing technology and how it improves our hearing aids’ performance and your day-to-day listening experience—with Starkey’s Omega AI leading the way.
To find out more about AI and how it is being used to improve medical care, head here. But when it comes to hearing technology, your best resource is your hearing care professional.
Don’t have one? No problem—simply locate a provider near you. And experience for yourself how groundbreaking AI is making it possible for Omega AI hearing aids to help you hear better and live better than ever.