Oct. 12, 2025

The Future of Medicine! AI That Listens to Your Voice for Early Disease Detection | Henry O’Connell

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, host Vit Lyoshin sits down with Henry O’Connell, CEO and Co-Founder of Canary Speech, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming medicine through voice analysis. Henry shares how an eight-hour conversation in a bagel shop with Jeff Adams, the creator behind Amazon’s Alexa and Dragon NaturallySpeaking, led to the birth of a company redefining healthcare diagnostics.

Canary Speech’s groundbreaking technology analyzes how we speak rather than what we say. By studying over 2,500 vocal biomarkers every few milliseconds, the system can process 15 million data points per minute, detecting patterns linked to diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression, anxiety, and more. This innovation allows for non-invasive, real-time health monitoring using devices as common as smartphones and smartwatches.

Henry discusses how Canary Speech collaborates with leading institutions such as Harvard’s Beth Israel Hospital, Samsung, and Microsoft to bring early detection tools into hospitals and homes. He also reveals how AI is being used to prevent aggression in medical environments, protect healthcare workers, and extend care to underserved populations worldwide.

Beyond technology, Henry offers insights into leadership and entrepreneurship, from challenging old assumptions to building a team “equally yoked” in pursuit of meaningful impact. His perspective blends compassion, scientific rigor, and a deep belief that healthcare should be accessible to all.

This conversation will change the way you think about AI, voice, and the future of medicine because sometimes, the most powerful diagnostic tool is one you already use every day: your voice.

Show Notes

Henry O’Connell is a healthcare innovator and entrepreneur. As the CEO of Canary Speech, he leads a team pioneering the use of voice biomarkers for early detection of diseases that affect millions worldwide. His work has been published in The Lancet and recognized by global partners including Microsoft, Samsung, and Harvard’s Beth Israel Hospital. Under his leadership, Canary Speech is redefining how AI can listen, understand, and improve human health.

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Takeaways

AI can now analyze how we speak, not what we say, to detect health conditions.
The human voice contains over 2,500 measurable biomarkers tied to brain and body function.
Canary Speech analyzes 15 million data points per minute from spoken language.
Diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, anxiety, and depression can be detected early through voice.
The central nervous system controls speech, making it a powerful source of diagnostic data.
Voice biomarkers are universal; the same disease patterns appear across languages and cultures.
The technology works through smartphones, telehealth systems, and even Samsung watches.
Canary Speech partners with leading institutions like Harvard, Hackensack Meridian, and The Lancet.
AI enables non-invasive, real-time health monitoring during normal conversations.
The system can even detect stress, fatigue, and aggression, helping prevent hospital incidents.
Voice-based diagnostics may one day redefine patient-doctor interactions.