AI-powered signing avatars bring communication breakthrough for deaf users

Silence Speaks is pioneering AI-powered sign language translation to bridge critical communication gaps for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. This British startup addresses a global challenge affecting over 70 million sign language users who face isolation in noisy environments like train stations, hospitals, and classrooms where background noise and crosstalk make understanding speech nearly impossible. By developing an avatar that accurately translates text to British Sign Language (BSL) with emotional nuance, the company aims to transform accessibility for the 150,000+ BSL users in the UK.

The big picture: Silence Speaks has created an AI-powered avatar that translates text into British Sign Language, accurately conveying not just words but intent and emotion.

• The technology was developed specifically for and with the deaf community, incorporating regional dialects and contextual language understanding.
• The model goes beyond simple translation to capture emotional tone, addressing a key limitation of existing accessibility tools.

Behind the innovation: CEO Pavan Madduru founded Silence Speaks three years ago after witnessing the accessibility challenges faced by a deaf engineer friend during their travels together.

• Madduru’s background at Vodafone, where he pioneered AI architecture for chatbots, provided technical foundations for this accessibility solution.
• The company was built specifically to address the global shortage of sign language interpreters, which leaves many deaf people without adequate communication support.

Real-world implementation: Transport for London is planning to deploy the Silence Speaks avatar across its network of more than 250 stations and Metro lines.

• The integration will make train announcements accessible through visual displays for deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers.
• This large-scale implementation represents a significant validation of the technology’s practical applications in public infrastructure.

Leadership reinforcement: Former UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology Chloe Smith has joined Silence Speaks as board chair, bringing political credibility to the venture.

• Smith led the 2022 legislation that officially recognized British Sign Language in UK law.
• “People who use sign language can often be excluded, and that’s wrong,” Smith told WIRED, emphasizing the technology’s potential to improve communication between deaf and hearing communities.

Why this matters: Communication barriers create profound isolation for deaf individuals, particularly in environments where visual cues and lip-reading are insufficient alternatives.

• Even people with assistive technology like cochlear implants often capture only fragments of conversations in challenging acoustic environments.
• The technology represents a significant advancement in digital accessibility, potentially complementing other innovations like subtitle technology and hearing-enhanced audio glasses.