Podcast Summary: Risk Never Sleeps – Episode #147
The Sound of Health: How AI and Voice Are Transforming Diagnostics
Host: Ed Gaudet
Guest: Henry O’Connell, CEO and Co-Founder, Canary Speech
Release Date: November 20, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode explores how artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and voice analysis are pioneering new frontiers in healthcare diagnostics. Ed Gaudet sits down with Henry O’Connell, CEO and Co-Founder of Canary Speech, a company leveraging vocal biomarkers to identify diseases and help clinicians make faster, more accurate decisions. The conversation covers technical breakthroughs, the evolving nature of healthcare work, personal stories behind Canary Speech, and future outlooks on AI in patient safety.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Introduction to Canary Speech and Its Origins
- Canary Speech is a vocal biomarker company focused on healthcare diagnostics through analysis of speech data.
- Analyzes around 15.5 million data elements per minute, across dozens of diseases.
- Founders: Henry O’Connell (background in neurology) and Jeff Adams (NSA mathematical modeling and speech recognition).
- Machine learning and AI enable the analysis of vast, previously untapped data sets in speech:
- “When you add on top of that AI you just have something that is a wonderful Italian meal.”
— Henry O’Connell [00:43]
- “When you add on top of that AI you just have something that is a wonderful Italian meal.”
2. AI’s Game-Changing Impact on Diagnostics
- A decade ago, disease detection via speech in clinical settings wasn't feasible—data was too limited.
- Deep neural nets and AI now enable real-time analysis from minutes of speech, focusing on central nervous system diseases (e.g., Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairment, MS).
- “Accuracies are 98, 99% in a 40 second sample. And so that's a wonderful tool in the hand of a clinician.”
— Henry O’Connell [03:19]
- “Accuracies are 98, 99% in a 40 second sample. And so that's a wonderful tool in the hand of a clinician.”
3. Information to Action: AI as a Decision Accelerator
- AI's greatest contribution is turning massive information streams into actionable knowledge.
- “Information is fantastic, but as you put it all together, it becomes knowledge, and knowledge becomes actionable.”
— Henry O’Connell [04:06]
- “Information is fantastic, but as you put it all together, it becomes knowledge, and knowledge becomes actionable.”
- Analogies: Moving from digging holes by hand to the shovel, then pyramids, and finally Mars exploration—AI will accelerate, not replace, human capabilities.
4. AI, Jobs, and the Future of Work
- AI and automation won’t eliminate jobs, but rather transform roles and require humans to adapt and learn.
- “I think the jobs will be more entertaining. They'll be more challenging. They'll push us to be better. We are going to be better than any tool we ever make, and that includes AI tools.”
— Henry O’Connell [06:18]
- “I think the jobs will be more entertaining. They'll be more challenging. They'll push us to be better. We are going to be better than any tool we ever make, and that includes AI tools.”
- Historical perspective: Technology increases productivity and creates new work, not less.
5. Pop Culture Tangent: Robot Overlords?
- Light-hearted discussion on sci-fi scenarios like robot takeovers.
- “No, I don't think that's what's going to happen, you know?... I'm tired of cleaning your bathroom. Pick up your clothes.”
— Henry O’Connell [06:53] - “IRobot had a, you know, a less tragic outcome than Terminator.”
— Henry O’Connell [07:15]
- “No, I don't think that's what's going to happen, you know?... I'm tired of cleaning your bathroom. Pick up your clothes.”
6. Personal Journey and the Birth of Canary Speech
- O’Connell recounts his partnership with Jeff Adams, who co-created the Amazon Echo and has deep roots in speech tech.
- Pivotal career moment: The decision to apply speech/language tech to human health arose from a soul-searching conversation at a bagel shop, leading to Canary’s founding.
- “He said, ‘Well, I always wanted to apply speech and language to human condition and disease.’ And I said, ‘Well, why don’t we do that?’”
— Henry O’Connell [09:27]
- “He said, ‘Well, I always wanted to apply speech and language to human condition and disease.’ And I said, ‘Well, why don’t we do that?’”
7. Advice and Reflections
- Looking back, O’Connell emphasizes patience, lifelong learning, and being open to new challenges—even starting Canary at age 63.
- “Be patient. I'm 72 now. We started this when I was 63... It takes time.”
— Henry O’Connell [09:43]
- “Be patient. I'm 72 now. We started this when I was 63... It takes time.”
- Stories from his upbringing and early work: Hard work, resilience, and adaptability are keys to success both then and now.
- “If it's hard work, I don't care. Give me the shovel. Yeah, I'll dig the hole.”
— Henry O’Connell [19:33]
- “If it's hard work, I don't care. Give me the shovel. Yeah, I'll dig the hole.”
8. The Origin of the Name: Canary Speech
- The company name and logo were inspired by his daughter Megan, referencing the "canary in the coal mine" as an early health warning and lifesaver.
- “That was their warning. But the bird was important to them because it was saving lives.”
— Henry O’Connell [20:58]
- “That was their warning. But the bird was important to them because it was saving lives.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On AI’s Impact:
“AI is going to get us there years earlier, not years shorter.”
— Henry O’Connell [05:12] -
On AI and Human Progress:
“We're going to accelerate all that… We're going to be sharper. We're going to learn from that. We have the capacity to keep growing.”
— Henry O’Connell [06:18] -
On Building a Career:
“I learned that a lot of it was attitude. And if it's hard work, I don't care. Give me the shovel. Yeah, I'll dig the Hole.”
— Henry O’Connell [19:33] -
On Family and Roots:
“We love songs that tell a story. We're Irish.”
— Henry O’Connell [17:39] -
On Entrepreneurial Risks:
O’Connell shares his wildest risk—escaping an icy, out-of-control car run without imminent danger; a metaphor, perhaps, for entering uncharted business territory.
[16:19–17:04]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Canary Speech origins and expertise: [00:43–01:40]
- Speech data breakthroughs via AI: [01:46–03:19]
- Actionable insights from AI in medicine: [04:06–05:34]
- Job displacement and AI's future: [06:00–06:33]
- Sci-fi robots and real-world AI future: [06:38–07:28]
- Personal journey into speech tech and Amazon Echo: [07:38–09:27]
- Naming Canary Speech and the canary as a symbol: [20:07–21:13]
- Advice to young professionals: [18:11–19:52]
Episode Takeaways
- AI and voice analysis are revolutionizing disease detection by converting massive streams of human speech into reliable, real-time clinical tools.
- Jobs will evolve, not disappear—adaptability and a growth mindset are more vital than ever.
- Personal connection and inspiration matter both in building a company and in finding one's path.
- Hard work, patience, and attitude trump talent alone when innovating in health tech.
- The name "Canary Speech" encapsulates the company's mission: early warning, sensitivity, and saving lives.
For more information or to increase your risk awareness and safety in healthcare, visit www.censinet.com.