PR Newswire
Multi-Agent AI Solution Restores Voice, Presence, and Agency to Millions
Launched at AI Summit New York
VoXAI Video here
The Scott-Morgan Foundation, in collaboration with D-ID, today announced the launch of SMF VoXAI, a multi-agentic AI-powered platform that restores the natural flow of conversation for people with severe communication disabilities.
The launch marks the culmination of a five-year global experiment in ethical, human-centred AI led by the Scott-Morgan Foundation CEO LaVonne Roberts. The initiative unites disability advocates, universities, and a consortium of NVIDIA Inception AI companies, including D-ID, ElevenLabs, and Irisbond, alongside NVIDIA infrastructure and Lenovo, the global technology leader, whose partnership realizes founder Dr. Peter Scott-Morgan's vision that every device should include accessibility as standard. Students at partner Tecnológico de Monterrey each dedicated over 400 hours to developing and testing SMF VoXAI and conducting the first empirical research on how expressive avatars enhance communication.
SMF VoXAI was developed by the Foundation's Chief Technologist, Bernard Muller, who is fully paralyzed by ALS and architected the entire system using only eye-tracking technology. The platform embodies the Foundation's principle of 'designing with, not for.'
"Two years ago, this would have been impossible," says Scott-Morgan Foundation CEO LaVonne Roberts. "Today, a technologist who's lived with ALS for 15 years and mastered coding through eye-tracking alone has designed AI coordination that restores agency instead of replacing it, proving that when you design WITH the people who need solutions most, you build what Big Tech couldn't. This gives people back what they've been locked out of: their own voices, their presence, their lives."
The platform was presented publicly for the first time on December 10th at the AI Summit New York, during the live session "Against Silence: How Extreme Constraint Built the Most Sophisticated Ambient AI in Production."
Powered by D-ID's Real-Time Streaming API and advanced agentic AI capabilities, SMF VoXAI brings conversation to life through photorealistic, responsive digital avatars that convey users' words and emotions in real time. The ultra-low-latency system, driven by NVIDIA GPUs and incorporating voice and eye-gaze solutions by ElevenLabs and Irisbond, enables people who communicate via eye-tracking technology to engage in natural, face-to-face dialogue, turning delayed text into immediate presence and transforming passive interaction into dynamic human connection.
Globally, more than 100 million people live with conditions that severely limit speech, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which affects over 340,000 people worldwide, as well as those recovering from stroke, living with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, or non-verbal autism (WHO Foundation). SMF VoXAI is the first ambient AI communication system designed entirely by someone who depends on it. For many, even a short delay in communication can lead to isolation and emotional distress. SMF VoXAI helps close that gap, restoring not just speech, but the ability to participate fully in life's most human moments. Unlike traditional AAC devices costing $10,000-$15,000, the Foundation offers SMF VoXAI through a freemium model—free basic access worldwide, and $30/month for premium features—making this technology accessible to everyone who needs it.
"This realizes what we learned supporting Stephen Hawking and Dr. Peter Scott-Morgan that technology should restore presence, not just provide function," said Thorsten Stremlau, Foundation CTO and NVIDIA Distinguished Engineer. "With D-ID's real-time video generation, users don't just speak, they're seen and felt in the moment. This realizes Peter's vision: technology that keeps people in their own lives, not watching from the sidelines."
"SMF VoXAI represents the next evolution of human-machine collaboration," said Gil Perry, CEO and Co-Founder of D-ID. "By combining the empathy of human expression with the autonomy of agentic AI, we're making communication accessible, natural, and emotionally intelligent for everyone, no matter their physical limitations."
"D-ID's avatars don't just make me visible, they make me present," said Bernard Muller, who architected SMF VoXAI using only eye-tracking technology. "When someone sees my avatar smile or shows concern, they're seeing me, not a disability. That changes everything about how I connect with my world."
Experience SMF VoXAI at the demonstration booth at the AI Summit New York, Dec. 10th, 11th:
- SMF VoXAI, the real-time dialogue engine enabling spontaneous, responsive participation.
- D-ID's streaming avatars, the visual layer that gives every interaction a human face reflecting emotion and identity.
Global Research & Pilot Program
The Scott-Morgan Foundation and D-ID announced a two-year research collaboration tracking 20 participants across six countries. Led by Dr. Antonio Ortiz at Tecnológico de Monterrey, the research provides the first empirical evidence of how D-ID's expressive avatars and ElevenLabs' voice clones restore identity and improve communication quality, measuring not just speed, but emotional presence and participation outcomes. The accompanying two-year study across six countries will generate the first empirical data on how AI avatars affect quality of life for people with communication disabilities.
About the Scott-Morgan Foundation: The Scott-Morgan Foundation is a UK-based charity dedicated to transforming the lives of people with extreme disabilities through advanced technology, research, and advocacy. Its mission is to ensure that cutting-edge innovation serves the most vulnerable communities, empowering people to live and love without limits. https://www.scottmorganfoundation.org
About D-ID: D-ID is the world leader in generative AI for video and digital humans, enabling frictionless, real-time interaction through its Real-Time Streaming API. Its technology powers lifelike digital presenters, learning companions, and virtual assistants for Fortune 500 companies and mission-driven organizations alike. In September 2025, D-ID acquired simpleshow, the global pioneer in AI-based explainer video creation. Based in Berlin, simpleshow helps organizations in more than 70 countries simplify complex messages through smart, scalable, and human-centric video communication. Simpleshow, a D-ID Company. https://www.d-id.com
PRESS CONTACT: Leah Stern, D-ID Press Office: press@d-id.com
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ykV4nRGKoQ
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/scott-morgan-foundation-and-d-id-introduce-smf-voxai-restoring-connection-to-those-silenced-by-disability-302638157.html
