Seventy-eight million people live with hearing loss in the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes the Gulf states. That number is projected to reach 194 million by 2050.

More than 2 million of those affected are children aged 0 to 15 with disabling hearing loss who need rehabilitation. Following the regional introduction of Omega AI+, Starkey MEA has outlined how the artificial intelligence (AI) built into its hearing aids is being used to take on the challenge, one conversation at a time.

Giscard Bechara, Managing Director, Starkey MEA FZCO, said the numbers reflect real daily struggles. “Behind every one of those numbers is someone missing a conversation at the dinner table, struggling in a meeting, or quietly stepping back from family gatherings,” he said.

He added that volume is rarely the main complaint. “Ask patients what frustrates them most and the answer is rarely volume. It is following one voice when everyone is talking at once. That is the problem our AI is built to solve.”

The first focus is speech in noise. Omega AI+ runs four specialized deep neural networks (DNNs) that work together continuously. They aim to optimize speech understanding, environmental awareness, sound quality and listening comfort.

This intelligence is built directly into the silicon of the G4 Gen AI Neuro Processor. Starkey says the processor handles sound up to 2.7 times faster than other hearing aids that market DNN processing capabilities. A new DNN Dual Compressor also decides when to prioritize speech clarity and when to preserve natural sound. As a result, wearers do not have to trade one for the other.

The second focus is making help automatic. Enhanced Edge Mode is Starkey’s on-demand boost for challenging listening conditions. It can now remain active continuously without manual activation. Support in a crowded mall, a busy airport or a large family gathering therefore no longer depends on pressing a button.

The third focus is discretion. Custom rechargeable hearing aids now include DNN 360 technology. It improves speech intelligibility, enhances spatial awareness and reduces listening effort. Custom non-wireless models also gain Automatic Edge Mode. For patients who want a discreet device, Starkey’s smallest custom hearing aids now include AI-powered performance.

The fourth focus is staying connected and safe. Omega AI+ supports Auracast™ broadcast audio. Wearers can tune into compatible public and personal broadcasts, such as airport announcements, from a smartphone running the My Starkey app.

The platform also adds an all-new feedback management system. In addition, the app can send a “Hearing aids left behind” reminder if a wearer walks away from their devices.

TeleHear AI uses generative AI to help wearers resolve common hearing issues in real time. Beyond hearing, fall detection, automatic respiratory rate monitoring and Balance Builder exercises extend the devices into everyday wellbeing.

Bechara stressed that AI supports clinicians rather than replacing them. “AI does not replace the audiologist. It gives the audiologist and the patient a better starting point, and it keeps working after the patient leaves the clinic,” he said.

He also called for wider awareness. “Hearing loss will not solve itself at this scale, so we would encourage every family, every employer and every business leader in the region to treat a hearing check as routinely as a blood pressure check.”

To learn more about Omega AI+, speak to a hearing care professional or visit starkeymea.com.

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