How AI Is Revolutionizing the Life of a Lawmaker Following a Devastating Diagnosis
Rep. Jennifer Wexton grapples with the potential impact of AI on the lives of individuals facing incurable diseases, a challenge that resonates personally for her.
TroibNews 
In late July, Rep. Jennifer Wexton took the lectern on the House floor, speaking to her colleagues just as she had countless times during her five years in Congress. However, this time was different—her voice was entirely generated by artificial intelligence.
The Virginia Democrat was diagnosed last year with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare and incurable brain disorder. Following her diagnosis, she decided not to seek reelection once her current term ends this year. The disease has impaired her ability to walk and weakened her natural speaking voice. With assistance from ElevenLabs, Wexton utilized old recordings of her voice to create an AI version.
Her appearance on the House floor highlighted assistive technologies in a positive light, contrasting the often negative discourse surrounding AI—especially in light of prior incidents, like the creation of a deepfake of President Joe Biden's voice in January. As Congress debates potential regulations on AI, Wexton and her colleagues are grappling with its benefits and risks.
In a conversation for the PMG Tech podcast, Wexton used her AI-generated voice to explain how this ongoing discussion has taken on personal significance for her and why she has become a staunch advocate for assistive technology during her final term. As she stated, “This disease has to be good for something.”
The following has been edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview with Wexton here:
Reflecting on her experience in July when she used AI for her speech, Wexton shared, “Because of PSP’s impact on the volume and clarity of my voice, what normally would be everyday aspects of serving in Congress, like speaking on the floor, questioning witnesses in committee, and giving interviews like this were becoming not possible. I even had to turn down opportunities to speak publicly for a while, and that was really frustrating.”
She explained that after working with a robotic text-to-speech app, she decided to collaborate with ElevenLabs to create an AI model of her voice. “My team sent them over an hour of old audio clips of me, mostly delivering floor speeches or other public remarks, and the AI model was ready in just a couple of days. Having a new ‘old’ AI voice of myself has been remarkable.”
The AI voice model was completed before her attendance at President Biden’s signing of the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act. Wexton remarked, “This new law is something I championed in Congress after my diagnosis. Working with leaders on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate, I shared my personal story about struggling to get my diagnosis and find treatments that helped manage my symptoms.”
At the White House, she felt it was important to debut her AI voice, especially as "my friend and colleague, and one of the co-leads of the bill, Congressmember Gus Bilirakis, had never heard my pre-PSP voice." She added, “I was able to share with President Biden and my family just how much it meant to see my advocacy make a difference.”
Describing her first experience hearing the AI voice, she mentioned, “My husband was with me when I first heard a sample of my AI voice reciting Hamlet’s soliloquy. ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’ So we both heard it for the first time at the same time. I cried happy tears… My AI voice will never be me, but it’s more me than I ever believed I would hear again.”
Wexton noted, “The model we’ve created with ElevenLabs is good to use in official speeches and events like that. I’m able to adjust the qualities of the model.” She aims to develop different options for various speaking styles, acknowledging the limitations of her current AI voice for casual conversations.
Regarding the challenges of using assistive technology, she said, “The biggest challenge is that I don’t type as fast as I used to… Finally, my version of it keeps changing my default voice to some man named Adam, who sounds great but not like me.”
Wexton emphasized how her personal experiences have influenced her perspective on AI, noting the potential for such technology to empower those facing disabilities. She stated, “What this kind of technology can do for people facing health challenges and other disabilities is nothing short of life changing.”
She acknowledged the dual-edged nature of AI, mentioning the dangers of deepfakes and the inadequacy of existing guardrails in social media. “There’s for sure more work to be done to ensure this tool is used responsibly,” she said, adding that her team has limited access to her AI voice model to prevent misuse.
Wexton expressed her concern about the accessibility of assistive technology, particularly for individuals lacking the resources to obtain it or who may not even know it exists. “I hope that using this assistive tech in Congress can help normalize it,” she stated, believing that visibility in high-profile settings can pave the way for broader acceptance in everyday life.
She also highlighted ElevenLabs’ recent partnership with organizations supporting Americans with ALS, which aims to provide the AI voice platform at no charge to those affected. “I hope I can help even more people find accessible ways to take advantage of these remarkable advances in technology to overcome the challenges of their health struggles,” she said.
Lastly, Wexton reflected on the broader experience of adapting to disability as an adult. “If it happened to me, it can happen to anyone,” she noted, emphasizing her commitment to advocating for others facing similar diagnoses. "It’s why I fought so hard for the passage of the National Plan to End Parkinson’s. I’m not afraid to play that ‘I’m dying and this is a priority’ card, because this disease has to be good for something.”
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Virginia Democrat was diagnosed last year with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare and incurable brain disorder. Following her diagnosis, she decided not to seek reelection once her current term ends this year. The disease has impaired her ability to walk and weakened her natural speaking voice. With assistance from ElevenLabs, Wexton utilized old recordings of her voice to create an AI version.
Her appearance on the House floor highlighted assistive technologies in a positive light, contrasting the often negative discourse surrounding AI—especially in light of prior incidents, like the creation of a deepfake of President Joe Biden's voice in January. As Congress debates potential regulations on AI, Wexton and her colleagues are grappling with its benefits and risks.
In a conversation for the PMG Tech podcast, Wexton used her AI-generated voice to explain how this ongoing discussion has taken on personal significance for her and why she has become a staunch advocate for assistive technology during her final term. As she stated, “This disease has to be good for something.”
The following has been edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview with Wexton here:
Reflecting on her experience in July when she used AI for her speech, Wexton shared, “Because of PSP’s impact on the volume and clarity of my voice, what normally would be everyday aspects of serving in Congress, like speaking on the floor, questioning witnesses in committee, and giving interviews like this were becoming not possible. I even had to turn down opportunities to speak publicly for a while, and that was really frustrating.”
She explained that after working with a robotic text-to-speech app, she decided to collaborate with ElevenLabs to create an AI model of her voice. “My team sent them over an hour of old audio clips of me, mostly delivering floor speeches or other public remarks, and the AI model was ready in just a couple of days. Having a new ‘old’ AI voice of myself has been remarkable.”
The AI voice model was completed before her attendance at President Biden’s signing of the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act. Wexton remarked, “This new law is something I championed in Congress after my diagnosis. Working with leaders on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate, I shared my personal story about struggling to get my diagnosis and find treatments that helped manage my symptoms.”
At the White House, she felt it was important to debut her AI voice, especially as "my friend and colleague, and one of the co-leads of the bill, Congressmember Gus Bilirakis, had never heard my pre-PSP voice." She added, “I was able to share with President Biden and my family just how much it meant to see my advocacy make a difference.”
Describing her first experience hearing the AI voice, she mentioned, “My husband was with me when I first heard a sample of my AI voice reciting Hamlet’s soliloquy. ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’ So we both heard it for the first time at the same time. I cried happy tears… My AI voice will never be me, but it’s more me than I ever believed I would hear again.”
Wexton noted, “The model we’ve created with ElevenLabs is good to use in official speeches and events like that. I’m able to adjust the qualities of the model.” She aims to develop different options for various speaking styles, acknowledging the limitations of her current AI voice for casual conversations.
Regarding the challenges of using assistive technology, she said, “The biggest challenge is that I don’t type as fast as I used to… Finally, my version of it keeps changing my default voice to some man named Adam, who sounds great but not like me.”
Wexton emphasized how her personal experiences have influenced her perspective on AI, noting the potential for such technology to empower those facing disabilities. She stated, “What this kind of technology can do for people facing health challenges and other disabilities is nothing short of life changing.”
She acknowledged the dual-edged nature of AI, mentioning the dangers of deepfakes and the inadequacy of existing guardrails in social media. “There’s for sure more work to be done to ensure this tool is used responsibly,” she said, adding that her team has limited access to her AI voice model to prevent misuse.
Wexton expressed her concern about the accessibility of assistive technology, particularly for individuals lacking the resources to obtain it or who may not even know it exists. “I hope that using this assistive tech in Congress can help normalize it,” she stated, believing that visibility in high-profile settings can pave the way for broader acceptance in everyday life.
She also highlighted ElevenLabs’ recent partnership with organizations supporting Americans with ALS, which aims to provide the AI voice platform at no charge to those affected. “I hope I can help even more people find accessible ways to take advantage of these remarkable advances in technology to overcome the challenges of their health struggles,” she said.
Lastly, Wexton reflected on the broader experience of adapting to disability as an adult. “If it happened to me, it can happen to anyone,” she noted, emphasizing her commitment to advocating for others facing similar diagnoses. "It’s why I fought so hard for the passage of the National Plan to End Parkinson’s. I’m not afraid to play that ‘I’m dying and this is a priority’ card, because this disease has to be good for something.”
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
