Virginia Rep. Wexton uses AI-generated voice as medical condition impacts speech [Video]

WASHINGTON – Virginia Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton debuted what she called her “new/old AI voice” Wednesday.

“You may think your ears are deceiving you right now. I assure you they are not,” Wexton said in a video posted to social media.

Last year, Wexton announced that she had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), which she described as “Parkinson’s disease on steroids,” adding that the condition has affected the volume and clarity of her speech.

As a result, for the past few months, she’s used a text-to-speech app to communicate, including from the House floor. But now, after creating an artificial intelligence-generated model of her voice using a collection of her previous public speeches, in a way, Wexton’s own voice is back.

“I hope that this new step of adopting an AI voice model can also be a moment to start a conversation about new and creative ways we can continue …