Spain's ALS patients can now get a digital copy of their voice for free

People in Spain with ALS can now get a digital version of their own voice at no cost. AI company ElevenLabs has partnered with adELA, Spain's leading ALS association, to offer it. The goal is simple: if the disease takes someone's speech, they can still talk with family and friends in a voice that sounds like them.

What changed

ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive disease of the nerves, meaning it gets worse over time. For many people it leads to the loss of speech. ElevenLabs makes voice technology, and its voice restoration tool builds a digital copy of a person's voice. The partnership is the first Spanish project under the ElevenLabs Impact Program. Spain is also the first country where the tool is offered through a national patient association.

How it works

Eligible people diagnosed with ALS have two ways to create their digital voice.

• If speech has not changed much yet, they record new samples.
• If speech has already changed, they upload older recordings instead.

The second option matters for people who wait too long. Old voicemails or recorded messages may be enough to rebuild a voice that has faded.

One patient's story

Aníbal Martín is an aviation engineer who also teaches programming near Madrid. After an ALS diagnosis, he noticed his voice starting to fade. He records lessons and sends audio messages to his students, and he said he no longer recognized himself. Through adELA he met a psychologist, a physiotherapist and a speech therapist, and he built a digital version of his voice. "Being able to hear my own voice means being able to remain myself," he said.

Who it affects

An estimated 4,000 to 4,500 people in Spain live with ALS. adELA has supported patients and their families for more than 30 years, with specialized care, psychological support and social guidance. People in Spain living with ALS can apply for access through adELA. Martín has volunteered there since 2020 and spent the past year helping the group's patients preserve their voices before they lose them.

What is not known yet

The announcement does not say how many people will be accepted or what the exact eligibility rules are. It also does not say how long the process takes, how closely the digital voice matches the original, or how patients' recordings are stored and protected. Anyone considering it should ask adELA those questions directly.