Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026
07:52
An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
Published on: March 13, 2026
Spatial AI consistently preferred to state-of-the-art hearing aids in multitalker noise
Cole Morris1, Igor Lovchinsky1, Christina Callahan1
1Fortell Research; New York, NY, USA.
International Journal of Audiology
|May 11, 2026
Summary
Fortell AI hearing aids with Spatial AI significantly improved speech clarity in noisy environments. Participants overwhelmingly preferred the new hearing aid technology over traditional models for easier understanding.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
- Signal Processing
Background:
- Hearing aid technology aims to improve speech understanding in challenging auditory environments.
- Traditional hearing aids use established processing methods that may be outperformed by advanced AI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Spatial AI model in Fortell AI hearing aids.
- To compare perceived ease of understanding in noisy, multitalker settings against traditional hearing aids.
Main Methods:
- A blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted.
- Participants compared the investigational hearing aid with five control hearing aids from major manufacturers.
- Preference was assessed by rating the ease of understanding a target talker in recorded noisy environments.
Main Results:
- The investigational hearing aid was preferred in 99 out of 100 trials.
- It achieved an average Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of 12.2 dB, significantly higher than controls (3.0-5.9 dB).
Conclusions:
- Spatial AI technology in hearing aids shows potential for substantial improvement in perceived speech clarity.
- This advancement addresses a key clinical consideration: hearing aid performance in complex noise.
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