'My new AI voice keeps my personality alive'

It's taken her strength, her ability to walk, but most devastatingly, her voice.

Yvonne Johnson, 58, from north London was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) almost six years ago.

A bubbly, charismatic personality, she found losing her ability to speak the most difficult to process.

But now Yvonne has regained the ability to communicate in her own voice through artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The US firm ElevenLabs has used old voice notes, videos and voicemails to recapture the sound of her voice.

Yvonne said: "Losing the way I used to speak has taken away part of my identity.

"At times I have felt isolated and sad after being once a very vocal, impressionable, speaking person."

MND causes muscle weakness and deterioration. According to the MND Association, 80% of people with MND experience significant changes in their speech.

Six people die in the UK every day from MND and life expectancy is about 18 months. Currently there is no cure.

Yvonne's family said it's had a huge impact on all of them.

Her husband Orville Johnson said: "All of us have been robbed of enjoying this stage in our lives.

"You see her authenticity being slowly taken away."

However, the AI technology has allowed the family to feel like Yvonne's personality is back in the room.

Her daughter Kayla said the device had changed everything.

Kayla said: "When I first heard it I was really shocked because it sounded so close to her voice and took me back to how my mum used to be.

"It felt like my mum was there in a sense."

Yvonne and Orville also used the device to renew their vows for their 25th wedding anniversary.

During the ceremony Yvonne used her AI voice to recite her vows to her friends and family.

Reflecting on what that meant to the family, Orville said: "That was just really amazing, it was like, that's Yvonne, that's how she sounds, that's her."

Yvonne has also worked with portrait artist Sara Pope to preserve her personality in an image as a part of project called Portrait of a Voice.

Sara had a photoshoot with Yvonne to capture her smile and then painted her mouth.

She said: "She just stood out to me as being larger than life and super warm.

"I just felt that I would love to paint a lip portrait of Yvonne and hopefully support MND in that way.

"By raising some funds to auction the piece but also raising awareness."

Sara's painting raised more than £15,000 for My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, which is a charity committed to finding treatment for MND.

Since receiving the AI device Yvonne has been travelling the world to raise awareness about MND.

She's been a speaker at events and shared what the device has done for her in Berlin, Zurich, California, Aberdeen and will be speaking in Texas this year.

Yvonne said: "I felt so honoured to have been asked, it was very exciting.

"I felt empowered sharing my story and what this technology can do for other people with non-standard speech. The technology is amazing because it keeps my voice alive."

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