In anticipation of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities coming on December 3, the tech giant Apple have just released a new short film yesterday on YouTube, emphasising the company’s commitment to enhancing the accessibility of their products by presenting advancements such as Apple’s Personal Voice, a feature accessible on Apple devices. The short film highlights the capability and warmth brought by Apple’s Personal Voice.
About the Short Film ‘The Lost Voice’
Apple’s latest short film, ‘The Lost Voice’, narrates the journey of a young girl and her pink, floppy-eared companion in their quest to find his lost voice. The narrative unfolds to unveil a touching moment between a father and his daughter. Dr. Tristram Ingham, portraying the father in the film, is a physician, associate professor of epidemiology, and a disability advocate hailing from Wellington, New Zealand. Ingham grapples with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), a condition characterised by progressive muscle degeneration, initially affecting the face, shoulders, and arms and potentially resulting in speech impairment.
Shot in New Zealand, the film is directed by the acclaimed Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi, renowned for his work in movies such as Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Love and Thunder, and What We Do In The Shadows.
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‘The Lost Voice’ is uniquely narrated using Personal Voice, generated on an iPhone. It’s a touching short cinematic piece that effectively illustrates how Apple’s Personal Voice can play a crucial role in fostering meaningful connections between individuals, transcending the communication challenges faced by one party with a speech disability. In fact, Apple’s Personal Voice utilises AI to replicate voices among individuals facing speech-related conditions, and let’s learn more about Apple’s Personal Voice.
What Is Apple’s Personal Voice?
Apple’s Personal Voice feature was first revealed to the public back then in May 2023, and later officially landed in Apple’s products in September with other new features. Apple’s Personal Voice is a utility employing Machine Learning (ML) to generate a synthetic rendition of one’s voice, crafted from audio samples one captures. It collaborates with Live Speech, an additional accessibility feature introduced in iOS 17, to transform text into audio.
Utilising Personal Voice and Live Speech, you have the ability to type messages during a FaceTime call, and the system will articulate your words using a voice that closely resembles your own. This process can be likened to self-audio deepfaking; however, Apple ensures users retain complete control since the machine learning occurs locally on the device, ensuring privacy and security of user information.
Listening to an AI-generated rendition of your voice might feel peculiar at first. However, once you overcome that initial strangeness, you may find it meaningful and valuable in facilitating individuals to express themselves fully and overcome the disability to speak, which can be clearly seen from the portrayal of the Personal Voice in ‘The Lost Voice’. Additionally, in situations where vocalisation is compromised or lost, Apple’s Personal Voice can step in and speak on your behalf.
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Which Apple Devices Support Apple’s Personal Voice?
Before diving into the setup process, it’s important to check if your devices are compatible with the feature. Here’s what you need:
1. iOS 17, iPadOS 17 or macOS Sonoma or later
2. One of these devices:
- iPhone 12 or later
- iPad Air (5th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) or later
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) or later
- Mac with Apple silicon
3. Face ID, Touch ID or a device passcode or password
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Moving on, here’s a guide on how to set up and utilise Personal Voice.
How Do I Set Up Apple’s Personal Voice on My iPhone?
Prior to initiating the setup process for Apple’s Personal Voice, it’s essential to be aware that it requires a considerable amount of time. While a detailed breakdown of the timing will be provided later, the training of the model takes approximately 15-20 minutes, and additional hours are needed for voice processing. It’s advisable to ensure you have sufficient time before committing to the setup.
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Step 1: Getting Started
Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Personal Voice (Located in the Speech section). Within the Personal Voice settings, select “Create a Personal Voice”.
Following this, you will receive step-by-step instructions. You’ll be asked to verbally record 150 phrases in a quiet environment, ensuring you speak naturally while holding your device 6-12 inches away. It’s worth noting that you can take pauses between phrases or choose to save and close the process, allowing you to return to set up at a later time.
Step 2: Verify Audio Quality
Once you’ve assigned a name to your Personal Voice, you’ll be prompted to assess the audio quality before proceeding.
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Step 3: Record Your Audio Samples
When you’re ready to proceed, it’s time to furnish audio samples by vocalising 150 phrases. Yes, you read that correctly — 150 phrases. These include a mix of questions and statements encompassing historical facts and random snippets of text. The intention is to capture the complete spectrum of your voice in various contexts and intonations, which is why a substantial number of audio samples are required. This step typically takes about 15-20 minutes, factoring in pauses and reading pace. Despite the quantity, it progresses swiftly, with the diverse and quirky nature of the phrases making the process engaging.
Step 4: Plug in Your iPhone and Leave It Alone
Now that your recording is complete, it’s time to allow the machine-learning process to take its course. Click “Continue” after finishing the recording and proceed to set up your Personal Voice. For this, ensure your iPhone is both locked and connected to a power source. In locked mode, the device will indicate that your Personal Voice is undergoing processing, and you will receive a notification when the process is complete.
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How to Use Apple’s Personal Voice?
Step 1: Add your Personal Voice to Live Speech
After configuring Apple’s Personal Voice, initiate its use by incorporating it into the array of voices available in Live Speech. Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Live Speech (Located in the Speech section). Toggle on Live Speech from this menu. Within the Voices section on the same page, your Personal Voice will appear as the top choice. Select your Personal Voice by tapping on it from the list.
Step 2: Enable Live Speech on a Facetime or Call
To utilise Apple’s Personal Voice, activate Live Speech by triple-clicking the side button. A window will appear at the bottom of the screen, prompting you to type a message. Upon pressing enter, you will hear an AI-generated rendition of your voice. This can be done at any time for testing purposes and during FaceTime or phone calls.
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Final Thoughts
The short film ‘The Lost Voice’ beautifully touches and brings out the meaning of Apple’s Personal Voice to aid in communication and break through barriers of disabilities. With the highlight of Apple’s Personal Voice in this short film, it’s once again noticeable that Apple is continuously maintaining their forefront position in the industry by consistently offering outstanding accessibility features across all their devices. These features cater to diverse needs, including vision, hearing, speech, mobility, and cognitive functions, showcasing a variety of innovative solutions.
Certainly, several tech companies have been enhancing their products to address common challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in their daily lives. For instance, PlayStation released the Access Controller in October, allowing individuals with disabilities to enjoy the fun of handheld gaming consoles by overcoming specific limitations. It’s genuinely gratifying to witness the positive impact of advanced technology and AI in resolving challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, significantly improving their quality of life.