Lewis Moody, the former England rugby union international, has described using artificial intelligence to bank his voice after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) as a deeply 'warming' experience. The 47-year-old, who was part of England's 2003 World Cup-winning squad, announced in October that he is living with the incurable and life-limiting neurological condition.
AI Technology Offers Hope
MND affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, gradually weakening muscles in the mouth, tongue, lips, and chest, which can ultimately lead to a complete loss of speech. Moody explained to Sky Sports that while he initially hesitated to use technology to create a personalised artificial voice, he now sees its immense value. 'The idea of doing it, I probably delayed for a while at the start because I was like "no, I don't need to do that, I'm fine." But why wouldn't you, especially with the advancement of AI now?' he said.
Moody has been working with a friend named Dodge, who owns a studio, to record videos and voice samples. These materials are used to create virtual avatars and a synthetic voice that can mimic his own. Additionally, he is recording content about his behaviours and thought processes so that AI can eventually predict his thoughts. 'Actually knowing that there is something, or that there is a better way of making effective communication easy – and that's been really sort of warming,' he added.
Confronting Fears of Isolation
The former back-rower admitted that the prospect of losing the ability to physically connect with others as his condition progresses has been 'terrifying.' He said, 'The only thing I was scared of was – as someone that loves communicating with people and, you know, feeling the warmth and embracing, the sort of non-communicative skills – there'll be a time when you can't do either potentially. So that was terrifying.'
However, Moody remains optimistic, noting that the longer his symptoms remain stable, the more advancements in technology will be available to help him. 'The longer my symptoms are as they are, the more everything around me will advance. And, you know, just know that if and when that time arrives, you'll be in a better space,' he said.
Support from Rugby Community
Moody has received 'amazing' support from his network of close friends within the rugby community. Several high-profile rugby players, including the late Doddie Weir, Joost van der Westhuizen, and Rob Burrow, have also battled MND. Moody is preparing for a 500-mile, seven-day cycling challenge this summer to raise funds for MND research.
Reflecting on his current state, Moody said, 'I'm doing good. You just focus on the things that you still can do and not worry about things that are changing or anything like that. Figuring out how you mentally deal with each little change, things that you notice, that's the hardest bit.' He shared a recent struggle: 'A week or two ago I had loss of strength in the middle fingers, and that hit me really hard because it coincided with a couple of difficult conversations. So I had two days of mentally feeling hit. But then you quickly come out of it. I can quickly recognise that I'm in that state.'
