A London audience wept on Wednesday as Patrick Darling, a musician diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), performed a song with his former bandmates – his first time on stage in over two years. The performance was made possible by artificial intelligence that recreated his singing voice, lost to the degenerative disease.
Darling, 32, was diagnosed with ALS, also known as motor neurone disease (MND), at age 29. The condition progressively attacks the nerves controlling muscles, leading to a loss of motor function, including the ability to speak, move, and eventually, breathe. By April 2024, Darling was struggling with both speech and breathing, according to Nick Cocking, guitarist for The Ceili House Band.
“He called me the day after [a performance where the band carried him on stage] and said he couldn’t do it anymore,” Cocking recalled, his voice breaking. “By June 2024, it was done.” That performance marked the last time the band played together.
Darling, who began playing music at age 14, mastering instruments including bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, melodica, mandolin, and tenor banjo, considered singing his greatest passion. He joined Cocking’s Irish folk outfit, The Ceili House Band, in April 2014, quickly becoming an integral part of the group. “He elevated the musicianship of the band,” Cocking said.
As Darling’s condition worsened, he first lost the ability to stand during performances in August 2023, then the use of his hands, preventing him from playing his instruments. Despite these losses, Darling continued to compose music.
“Sadly, I have lost the ability to sing and play my instruments,” Darling said on stage Wednesday, using his AI-generated voice. “Despite this, most of my time these days is spent still continuing to compose and produce my music. Doing so feels more important than ever to me now.”
Darling utilized an AI tool developed by ElevenLabs to recreate his voice, training the system on recordings of his past performances. This “voice clone” allowed him to perform the song, written for his great-grandfather whom he never met, with his bandmates Hari Ma on violin and Cocking. The AI music generator also enabled him to compose new songs using his recreated voice.
Darling had previously created a digital replica of his speaking voice using ElevenLabs software, communicating via assistive technology. The latest application of the technology allowed him to return to the stage, captivating the audience with a voice virtually indistinguishable from his original.
