Israeli TV reporter who lost ability to speak clearly, seeks AI’s help to get back on air

Renowned Israeli journalist with ALS uses AI to recreate voice, making a comeback after losing ability to speak.

When a renowned Israeli TV journalist lost his ability to speak clearly because of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), he thought his career might be over.

But now, using artificial intelligence software that can recreate his widely recognised gravelly voice, Moshe Nussbaum — known to generations of viewers simply as “Nussi” — is making a comeback.

Mr. Nussbaum, 71, was diagnosed two years ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease that attacks nerve cells that control muscles throughout the body.

At the time, he vowed to viewers of Israel's Channel 12 News to continue working as long as he was physically able. But, gradually, it became more and more difficult.

It was a devastating blow to the career of a leading, no-nonsense reporter who for more than 40 years had covered many of Israel's most important stories from the field. He had appeared from the scenes of suicide bombing attacks and the front lines of wars in Gaza and Lebanon, and had covered scandals in Israel's parliament and high-profile court cases.

After Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war in Gaza, Mr. Nussbaum was unable to report from the field. It was the first war of his career he had ever sat out, he noted in a recent interview with colleagues at Channel 12, the country's largest station.

Even though he was having trouble moving and speaking, he launched a segment interviewing injured soldiers from Israeli hospitals.