We evaluated the Spatial AI model on the Fortell AI hearing aids to see if it improves speech intelligibility in single-azimuth multitalker babble relative to a commercially available control hearing aid employing neural-network-based noise-reduction.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Results are promising but limited to one device platform and a single noise condition; audiologists should await independent peer-reviewed replication before counselling patients that Spatial AI offers superior performance.
AI-driven spatial processing represents a fast-moving frontier in hearing aid technology, and independent performance data—even at small scale—help clinicians critically evaluate manufacturer claims.
- 01Spatial AI model tested in Fortell AI hearing aids against a commercial reference condition.
- 02Significant speech intelligibility improvement found in multitalker babble noise.
- 03Study appears to be manufacturer-affiliated or sponsored given device specificity.
- 04Results limited to one noise type (multitalker babble); real-world generalisability unclear.
- 05Published in International Journal of Audiology.
Spatial AI improves speech intelligibility for hearing aid wearers in multitalker babble noise.
studypartially supportedFortell AI hearing aids with Spatial AI outperform a commercial reference condition in noisy environments.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42850968
- DOI
- 10.1080/14992027.2026.2741760.
- Journal
- International Journal of Audiology
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Hearing aid wearers tested in multitalker babble noise conditions
- Intervention
- Spatial AI model on Fortell AI hearing aids
- Comparator
- Commercial reference hearing aid condition
Primary outcomes
Speech intelligibility in multitalker babble noise