Imagine a life without the joyful sounds of laughter, the rustle of leaves, or a loved one's voice. For 430 million people, or over five percent of the world’s population with disabling hearing loss, this is a real possibility. That number is forecast to double to one in 10 people by 2050, many of them newborns affected by congenital hearing issues. Beyond the silence, it can lead to cognitive impairment, falls, and depression.

While preventing hearing loss is ideal, many people already affected rely on hearing aids to compensate for their impairment. Hearing aids can be highly effective, but unfortunately, many devices underperform, leading to issues like noise interference and suboptimal speech recognition.

When we learned about these challenges, Tencent Ethereal Audio Lab (TEALab) — specializing in audio communication — decided to use our expertise to address the issue.

A Mission to Make Hearing Aids Better

Four years ago, we launched the Ethereal Audio Campaign. Our goal: to make our audio AI technology accessible to developers, device manufacturers, and NGOs. We hoped that by sharing our innovations, we could improve the experience of hearing aid users across China, where some 28 million people have a hearing impairment and 120 million elderly people suffer from varying degrees of hearing loss.

Compared to Europe and the United States where hearing aid usage rates are as high as 30 percent, only as few as five percent of moderately to severely hearing-impaired elderly in China use them. This is due to the immature market of domestically produced devices.

Speech Clarity Enhanced by 85 Percent

Recognizing these challenges, we have built upon the successful validation of TEALab AI in cochlear implant applications to develop our own hearing aid algorithm. This innovation enhances speech clarity and intelligibility in domestic hearing aids by up to 85 percent in complex listening environments, significantly improving daily communication for users. To bring this technology to those who need it, we have collaborated with several device manufacturers to introduce TEALab Inside hearing aids.

From there, we have continually refined our products to improve acoustic howling suppression and reduce sound source confusion. We wanted every user to experience distinct, understandable, and natural sound.

Given the psychological barriers to hearing aid use, we introduced new, user-friendly designs that hang around the neck or are bean shaped. We also added features like TV mode and easy scene switching so those who love watching TV or making video calls can have more fun.

Hearing Aid Fittings at Home

Getting the right fit for hearing aids is just as important as the devices themselves. Just like you need the correct prescription for glasses to see clearly, you need properly fitted hearing aids to hear your best. However, many people find it difficult to access these services due to long travel distances, high costs, and a shortage of professional fitting centers — especially in smaller cities and rural areas.

To bridge this gap, we launched the Tencent Ethereal Audio Remote Hearing Service Platform, allowing users to access fitting services at home with VooV Meeting via their smartphone or computer. Fitting specialists guide users through the process remotely, with thousands of hearing-impaired elderly already using the service.

Understanding Hearing Impaired Speech

Many hearing-impaired individuals, especially those who use sign language, struggle to be understood, as their pronunciation can differ significantly from what many of us are used to. Treating their speech as a unique language, we applied advanced techniques and models to improve the accuracy. The technology isn’t where we’d like it to be yet but is already helping us better interpret and understand the speech of people with hearing impairments, making communication more inclusive.

Helping Five Million People With Hearing Impairments

We launched a special relief fund for hearing-impaired elderly in China. Over the past four years, we've helped nearly five million users undergo hearing screening and offered targeted relief to 500 seniors in the city of Shaoguan. We've also implemented matching gift programs in Shandong, Chongqing, and other regions, expanding our reach and impact.

An Open Collaborative Platform

We’ve come a long way but there’s still plenty to do. Our goal is to create a comprehensive loop of hearing health services, covering early screening, diagnosis, treatment, and fitting. By opening up the Tencent Ethereal Audio Remote Hearing Service Platform, we're inviting hearing aid manufacturers and chip providers to join us. Collectively, we can meet the growing demand for remote fitting and make high-quality hearing aids more accessible, letting affected people discover or rediscover the joys of sound.

We're committed to evolving and innovating to effectively serve the needs of people with hearing impairments. Our mission is to ensure that everyone can clearly enjoy the world of sound. By working together, the melodies of life can be accessible to more of us.