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Orlando Ruiz is the founder and president of the ALS MND Association of Colombia. He was diagnosed with ALS in March 2023 and has since lost much of his natural voice. Using a Colombian Spanish voice clone created with ElevenLabs, he has been able to communicate in a way that feels more familiar - to him and to those around him.

“Many Colombians have received their cloned voices and they are very happy,” he told us.

Orlando says the quality and authenticity of the voice made his friends feel like they were truly hearing him again. For people with ALS, this is rare. Voice loss often leads to social isolation. Networks shrink. The sense of being heard as yourself, even after voice loss, made a difference.

Voice changes in ALS can gradually make it harder for others to engage. Speech becomes strained, and communication breaks down - not just technically, but personally. Speech and language pathologist Richard Cave works with many people affected by ALS and explains why this matters:

“This is the first technology where people are reporting supported social networks,” he says. “As SLPs we work hard to keep social networks together, but almost nothing works well - until now.”

Richard explains that people with ALS often say their ElevenLabs voice reflects who they are. Not just what they sound like, but how they feel. That helps family and colleagues relate to them and stay connected.

More than 40% of people with ALS experience clinical depression, often made worse by the collapse of these relationships. If voice AI can support social contact, it could become a valuable tool - not just for communication, but for wellbeing.

“We need research,” Richard adds. “To measure how much ElevenLabs supports social network maintenance versus standard voices. And to look at the impact on wellbeing - for the person, and for those around them.”

This work is just starting. But Orlando’s experience—and the experiences of others—point to a simple truth: familiar voices help people stay close.