Lawmaker Uses AI Voice to Speak on House Floor

A rare neurological disorder is robbing Rep. Jennifer Wexton of her ability to speak. She's turned to artificial intelligence for help, and hearing an AI version of her voice for the first time was an emotional moment, CNN reports. "It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, and I cried tears of joy," Wexton said. On Thursday, the Virginia Democrat became the first lawmaker to an AI-generated model of her voice to speak on the floor of the US House. "I can no longer give the same kind of impassioned impromptu speeches during debates on the floor or in committee hearings," Wexton said, per NPR, in highlighting Disability Pride Month.

"My battle with progressive Supranuclear palsy, or PSP, has robbed me of my ability to use my full voice and move around in the ways that I used to, rather than striding confidently onto the House floor to vote," Wexton said on the floor through the speech-to-text model. The congresswoman announced in September that she won't run for another term, saying she expects her health problems to worsen. But she said the diagnosis "has brought me a renewed sense of determination is the opportunity to use this unique platform to try to help others." Rep. Don Beyer said, "To have her voice back through the AI—and not just a voice but her voice—is a really wonderful thing." A video of the speech can be found here. The Mayo Clinic has an overview of PSP here. (More artificial intelligence stories.)