Breakthrough App Uses the Power of AI to Make it Easier to Hear Speech in Background Noise

Singular Hearing, a subsidiary of Singular Software and creator of HeardThat, announced the full release of its HeardThat app for iOS and Android. HeardThat uses the power of smartphones to run sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that separate speech and noise, empowering users to hold clear and effortless conversations in places with background noise, like restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, and family gatherings. As a software-only app, no new devices are required. HeardThat works with the devices most people already have, including most Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, cochlear implants, and ordinary earbuds and headphones.

Since HeardThat’s early release, the company’s AI experts have worked tirelessly with users to improve ease of use, recognize more types of noise, and work with more devices. Testing by National Research Council Canada showed a significant improvement in objective measures of intelligibility and listening effort. The app also gained a loyal following of thousands of regular users, with its most active user base growing by 12% month-over-month.

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The difficulty of understanding speech in noise impacts people across a wide range of hearing abilities and is common among the aging population. Previous hearing-assistive devices and apps have not effectively addressed background noise. As a result, those that have trouble hearing conversations in loud places tend to avoid noisy social scenarios, which can lead to isolation and cognitive decline. The emergence of AI algorithms capable of being run on smartphones opens more opportunities for improving accessibility technologies.

“The ability to hear speech in noise is one of the first signs of hearing decline. It’s also the most desired feature users of hearing aids or other hearing-assistive wearables request,” said Singular Hearing founder and CEO Bruce Sharpe. “HeardThat users regularly share the positive impact our app has made on their lives and we’re proud to offer a solution that enables understandable conversations with less effort.”

“I have a lot of trouble in noisy situations, even hearing the people next to me. I have the latest and greatest hearing aids, but they don’t increase understanding in noisy environments,” said one user. “HeardThat’s technology is pretty amazing. I never use the amplifier feature on my phone because it just doesn’t work the way that HeardThat does.”

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