Changing lives with AI-powered hearing
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the audiology landscape. Across the industry, hearing aid manufacturers, hearing care professionals and customers are embracing AI to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in hearing health: helping to hear better in complex, noisy environments.
The most recent to embrace the technology is Specsavers Audiology, who has released hearing aids that put the long-term hearing health of customers first and use AI technology to enhance, not replace, the human experience of hearing. This approach reflects a shift in thinking: AI is not here to take over, but to support and empower customers to live life the way they choose.
By combining the brain’s natural processing power with intelligent algorithms as seen in this latest generation of hearing aids, AI is proving to be a gamechanger for professionals and customers alike.
Hearing in noise
Specsavers says that for many hearing aid users, hearing challenges aren’t completely solved with hearing aids. So much so, that hearing care professionals are trained to set expectations with customers when they first fit their hearing aids.
Ms Kathryn Launchbury, audiologist and senior professional services manager at Specsavers Audiology Australia and New Zealand, says AI-powered hearing aids change everything.
“Our goal was to make hearing feel effortless,” she says. “With our latest Advance 65 hearing aids, the AI technology adapts seamlessly to the wearer’s surroundings, spotlighting speech while maintaining awareness of ambient sounds. It means wearers can stay engaged in conversations even in the presence of background noise. It’s about restoring confidence and connection.
“This adaptability is especially valuable in dynamic environments – think of a family dinner, a team meeting, or a walk through a busy shopping centre. In these scenarios, Advance 65 hearing aids help wearers stay engaged and present, reducing the cognitive load required to follow conversations in noisy environments.”
Listening smarter
Utilising AI for hearing aids was no mean feat, and Specsavers Audiology product manager, audiologist Ms Kelsie Bailey, says that while the company was keen to use the technology to benefit customers, it was paramount that it did so in a responsible way.
“It was very important to us that the AI in Specsavers’ hearing aids didn’t listen to the customers who were using them,” she adds. “We value customer privacy and would never recommend a product that listens to conversations.
“Instead, unlike traditional hearing aids which have one processing chip, the AI hearing aids contain a second processing chip, called a Deep Neural Network chip. This chip is trained on more than 13.5 million real-world sound samples, enabling it to distinguish between different noises and speech. As a result, it can responsively adjust the user’s environment, reducing unwanted background noise.”
Bailey says this dual-chip architecture is what makes Advance 65 hearing aids special. It mimics the way the human brain processes sound and feels like there is a little sound engineer inside your hearing aid adjusting levels to give you the best result, she adds.
“Advance 65 is built to work with the brain, not against it. The result of the Deep Neural Network chip integration is a hearing aid that doesn’t just amplify sound, it understands it,” she says.
Real-world impact
Specsavers’ Advance 65 AI hearing aids are already making a difference in clinics across Australia, Specsavers says.
Launchbury says that while formal customer data and insights are still due to be collected, feedback from Specsavers hearing care professionals has been very positive.
“As an audiologist myself, I tested the hearing aids with significant background noise to see what the impact could be on my customers,” she says. “Engaging in conversations became noticeably easier due to the reduction in background noise, which was not only less intrusive but also more natural.
“This subtle shift created a more relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, allowing for clearer communication and a more enjoyable overall experience. I can’t wait to see how this translates to improved customer outcomes.”
Specsavers’ vision for AI in audiology
Utilising AI isn’t just a technological leap; it’s a signal for the future of audiology, Specsavers believes. For hearing care professionals, automatic environmental adaptation means fewer fine-tuning appointments and more time for meaningful customer engagement.
“With AI-powered hearing aids, customers feel more confident and satisfied as they experience improved hearing in difficult listening situations,” Launchbury says.
“Clinicians are also able to better support customers to achieve their listening goals through a focus on counselling and communication strategies rather than just spending time on hearing aid settings. This is the direction that we want to head in as an organisation that is dedicated to customer-centric care.
“I think safe and effective use of AI has great potential to transform how hearing care professionals work. It’s just the beginning and I’m really excited to see what’s going to happen in this space to improve both the experience and efficiency of the hearing care professional, but also people’s experience of hearing care as well.”
Specsavers Audiology’s embrace of AI is part of a broader vision – one that sees technology as a partner in care, not a replacement for it. By integrating AI into its products, Specsavers says it is embracing a new standard for hearing care that’s intelligent, empathetic, and accessible.
“We believe AI should enhance the user’s experience, not complicate it,” Launchbury concludes. “Advance 65 is a testament to that belief – it’s smart, seamless, and centered on the customer.”
As AI continues to evolve, Specsavers says it is committed to continually develop, test and release solutions that empower audiology professionals, support customers, and change lives through better hearing.
This article was originally published by Hearing Practitioner Australia and used with their permission
