Sonova, a Swiss company, has introduced Sphere Infinio, the world’s first hearing aid powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance speech clarity amid background noise. This groundbreaking product, launched on Tuesday, utilizes real-time AI to improve users’ hearing experiences and marks a significant advancement in the global market.
Alongside the Sphere Infinio hearing aid, Sonova is also rolling out a new platform called Infinio. This move was hinted at in May when Sonova mentioned that significant product launches would drive sales and profit growth in the second half of its fiscal year, but no specific details were provided at the time.
“The launch of both the new platform and product should be a surprise to the market because nobody knew this technology and this benefit (real-time AI), which is quite significant, would be available for anyone already this year,” said CEO Arnd Kaldowski in an interview with Reuters. Kaldowski reiterated that Sonova expects stronger year-on-year results in the second half and confirmed the company’s full-year outlook.
The Sphere Infinio features the new DEEPSONIC chip technology, boasting 53 times more processing power than current industry standards. According to Sonova, this technological leap positions Infinio and the existing Lumity platform as key future growth drivers for their hearing instrument business, which accounts for about half of their total sales.
The hearing aid market has been experiencing fluctuations in Europe and the US, with companies like Italy’s Amplifon and Denmark’s Demant and GN Store Nord warning of profit challenges due to market volatility.
“We will need to see how the market evolves and the customer reaction to the products. But we are good with our full-year guidance even with the currently somewhat slower market,” Kaldowski noted.
Sonova’s innovative AI-powered hearing aid is expected to set a new standard in the industry, providing significant benefits to users and potentially driving growth despite the competitive and volatile market conditions.
source: https://thetatva.in/tech/swiss-firm-unveils-worlds-first-ai-powered-hearing-aid/54380/
