These AI Headphones Isolate a Single Voice in a Noisy Space

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an advanced AI system — “Target Speech Hearing” — for noise-canceling headphones that allows users to focus on a single speaker in noisy environments.

“We tend to think of AI now as web-based chatbots that answer questions,” said senior author Shyam Gollakota , a UW professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. “But in this project, we develop AI to modify the auditory perception of anyone wearing headphones, given their preferences. With our devices you can now hear a single speaker clearly even if you are in a noisy environment with lots of other people talking.”