A voice lost, now educating visitors to Windsor Castle

When a voice becomes a lifeline

At the ElevenLabs Summit in Warsaw, held at Teatr Wielki - Poland's National Opera - we brought together founders, researchers, developers, business leaders, and policymakers to explore how AI is changing the way people communicate.

Among the stories we shared was Irene Perrin's.

For 31 years, Irene was a teacher and Headteacher. Her voice was central to her work - teaching, leading, and supporting students every day.

In 2024, Irene was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease. One of the first symptoms was the loss of her speech.

Recreating a lifetime of speech

With the help of her speech and language therapist, Dr. Richard Cave, Irene recreated her voice using ElevenLabs technology, drawing on recordings from throughout her life.

When I heard my voice through my new recordings, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised," Irene said. "I had my real voice back.

Unlike traditional voice banking, voice cloning can be created from existing recordings, allowing people to preserve or restore their voice even if they did not record dedicated samples before their condition progressed.

Continuing to educate

Today, that voice helps Irene continue volunteering at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, where she has welcomed visitors and shared the chapel's history for nearly two decades.

I have typed answers to every possible question I can think of about the history of the Chapel into my voice app," she explained. "When visitors ask a question, my old Headteacher voice comes through loud and clear with the answer.

For Irene, voice restoration is about more than communication.

To continue to feel valued and contribute to society in a meaningful way is so important.

At the Summit, we shared Irene's story through a documentary produced by Witness Films, following her journey with Motor Neuron Disease and how she uses her recreated voice to educate and engage visitors at Windsor Castle.

Building technology that keeps people connected

Irene's story highlights a broader challenge facing people with speech loss. The goal is not only to help people be understood, but to help them maintain their identity, independence, and role in their communities.

Through the ElevenLabs Impact Program, we provide free access to voice technology for people experiencing permanent voice loss, helping more individuals preserve the voices that connect them to their work, relationships, and communities.

Watch the full Summit session and documentary here.