When a renowned TV journalist lost his ability to speak, he began using artificial intelligence (AI). AI software helped recreate his distinctive voice—and gave him his beloved job back.
Moshe Nussbaum is known to generations of Israeli viewers as “Nussi.” For more than 40 years, he covered many of Israel’s most important stories. Nussi appeared from the front lines of wars in Gaza and Lebanon and reported on high-profile court cases.
Two years ago, Nussi received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The disease attacks nerve cells. As ALS progresses, many parts of the body suffer, weaken, and atrophy.
After Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel, side effects kept Nussbaum from reporting from the field. It was the first war of his career he had ever sat out.
Yet Nussi kept working. Despite trouble moving and speaking, he interviewed injured soldiers from Israeli hospitals. His questions were slow and stumbling. Still, he kept interviewing for the first half of the war. But Nussi’s speech worsened. People had trouble understanding him, and interviews happened less often.
Then in January, Israel’s Channel 12 News made a surprising announcement. Nussi would return to the air with the help of AI.
The journalist will write stories and then enlist an AI program. It will incorporate Nussi’s widely recognized gravelly voice. Engineers will film him as if he were presenting, and they’ll “adjust” footage of his lips to match the words.
People with speech disorders have used text-to-speech technology for years. But the result has usually had a robotic sound. Today’s AI voice cloning uses recordings of a person’s own voice to mimic inflections, phrasing, and tone.
According to a website by ElevenLabs, such technology can “clone your voice with only a few minutes of audio.” Thanks to Nussi’s long on-air career, thousands of hours of recordings exist.
Nussbaum calls his new AI-assisted persona a “magic trick” that enabled his comeback. Of course, it’s not magic. It is a good gift from the all-intelligent God.
Nussbaum values AI’s potential. He believes his new voice will raise awareness of ways people with disabilities can continue working. But experts also caution that AI makes spreading fake news and falsehoods easy.
AI voice cloning can increase phone scams, disrupt elections, and even violate people’s dignity. After all, folks living or dead may never have agreed with the statements AI could have them “say.”
The real Nussi made a sample recording. “Nussi AI” speaks quickly and forcefully, very like Nussbaum the reporter. His trademark bushy eyebrows move up and down for emphasis. “It feels a bit strange,” Nussi AI says. “Mostly, it tugs my heart.”
Why? God allows humans to help and serve others with technology. Used carefully, artificial intelligence can help restore voices, dignity, and hope.
