Loud and clear: how AI is transforming hearing health care

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AI is driving major improvements across health care – and that includes hearing aids. This could be very welcome news for many people: over half of the UK population aged 55 and over suffers from hearing loss, according to the RNID.

To find out more about how AI can enhance hearing, we had a chat with Stephen Fairfield, audiologist and founder of Edinburgh’s Fairfield Hearing, which provides a range of support for hearing loss.

The firm’s services include ‘at-home’ hearing tests, as well as help for people suffering from dizziness and loss of balance and mobility, through in-depth balance consultations, in collaboration with the Edinburgh Balance Clinic.

Here’s what Stephen told us about the difference AI can make to hearing aids.

What impact is AI having on hearing aids?

Applying AI to hearing aids means that they can adjust more quickly and precisely to different sound environments. AI checks your surroundings fast; it adjusts itself automatically, so you hear better; it learns from many more sound examples than previously possible; and it’s now more accurate at assessing what kind of environment you’re in.

How do AI-powered hearing aids differ from traditional digital hearing aids?

AI hearing aids are a big improvement on older digital models because they process sound in a much smarter, more natural way. Older digital aids improved on analogue models by amplifying sound and reducing very loud noises, often with preset programmes like “quiet” or “restaurant”, but they required the user to switch programmes manually.

They had limited ability to separate speech from background noise, and sudden or overlapping sounds could still be uncomfortable. In contrast, AI hearing aids automatically separate speech from noise, adjust hundreds of times per second, reduce harsh sounds, focus on the speaker you’re listening to and can learn your preferences over time. Overall, AI hearing aids are more automatic, comfortable and personalised, making listening easier and less tiring.

What kind of difference can people expect to notice with AI hearing aids?

With AI hearing aids, people experience clearer and more natural sound quality and are better able to hear in noisy environments. The AI in these devices analyses sounds and adjusts in real time, mimicking the way the brain’s auditory cortex focuses on important sounds while filtering out background noise. This makes conversations easier to follow and creates a more comfortable, natural hearing experience overall.

Are AI hearing aids right for everyone or only for people with certain types of hearing loss?

AI hearing aids are suitable for everyone, whether their hearing loss is slight or profound, because the advanced processing can be precisely tailored to an individual’s unique hearing profile.

These aids automatically adjust amplification, focus on speech and reduce background noise across a wide range of frequencies and sound environments, making them effective whether someone has a small amount of hearing loss in high frequencies or a severe, broad-spectrum loss. This adaptability, combined with personalised learning of user preferences, ensures that people with any level of hearing loss can experience clearer, more natural sound and reduced listening effort.

Some people worry that AI might be complicated to use – what would you say to reassure them?

AI hearing aids are not complicated to use. In fact, they are often easier to use than older digital models because they adjust themselves automatically. Instead of manually switching programmes or changing volume for different environments, the AI continuously monitors your surroundings and fine-tunes settings in real time. This means you can focus on listening rather than on operating the device, making everyday use simpler and more intuitive.

What’s the most common reaction you hear from patients who’ve switched to AI hearing aids?For new hearing-aid users, I’ve found that AI hearing aids are much more likely to be well-received, even by people who have never worn hearing aids before. The sound comes across as more natural and comfortable, and one of the main things that clients report is that less effort is required to listen.

When I ask them about situations they struggled with previously, many have forgotten they ever had difficulty because they can now just hear without thinking about it. AI hearing aids are particularly impressive in noisy environments. Clients have told me that in busy restaurants, they can pick out and focus on any person they want to listen to, even with background noise still present. Essentially, they can hear in a way that feels much closer to normal hearing.

One client said that when he walked out of the clinic and down Princes Street, he was amazed by what he could hear. He had never noticed people talking around him, the buses passing by or the birds tweeting. He said he was in tears, realising just how much he had been missing over the years, and wondered why he hadn’t sought help sooner.

Another client shared that hearing the rain battering on her window was deeply emotional for her, as she hadn’t even realised it made a sound. These moments show how profoundly AI hearing aids can reconnect people with the everyday sounds they’ve been missing.

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