A Quebec woman who lost her ability to speak because of ALS is using an artificial intelligence application to communicate in a digital recreation of her own voice, bringing a familiar sound back to conversations with her family.

Anne-Marie Poirier told The Canadian Press that the application, Vocality, has made those exchanges easier and given her renewed energy. Her story was reported by Charlotte Glorieux of The Canadian Press and published by Global News on Nov. 11.

“They are so happy. It’s as though they forget that my life is slowly coming to an end,” Poirier said of her family, using the tool during her interview.

Poirier first experienced symptoms in August 2024 and received an ALS diagnosis a year later. She began losing her voice in October 2025 and has used communication applications since January. She started using Vocality in May.

ALS is an incurable neurological disease that progressively destroys nerve cells controlling voluntary movement. It can affect walking, speaking, swallowing and breathing, while the ability to think and understand others often remains intact.

Vocality lets users enter a few keywords rather than type complete sentences. The application generates fuller responses and can listen to conversations to suggest replies. Technology from AI company ElevenLabs creates synthetic voices from speech recordings; Poirier’s version combines recordings of her speech with digitally generated words.

The Montreal venture grew out of co-founder Thomas Houlachi’s experience with two relatives who were diagnosed with ALS in 2021. Both lost their ability to speak by 2023 and struggled with communication tools that required typing letter by letter.

Houlachi teamed up with software engineering student David Ruiz to found Vocality in 2023. His relatives died before the application was finished.

Following more than two years of development and testing with people living with ALS, Vocality launched on iPhones and iPads in June. Houlachi said more than 100 people across North America now use it daily. It requires a paid subscription, though eligible users may receive assistance through ALS Québec.

Poirier learned about the project through that organization and has regularly offered feedback. The current application lets users save frequently used phrases and repeat sentences. It also supports eye-tracking equipment for people with limited mobility.

For Poirier, another benefit has been generating spoken Italian sentences for her partner, who speaks the language fluently. She understands Italian but does not normally speak it.

“It gives me energy, a feeling of being alive,” she said.

Sources