draft

Newsroom Computational Audiology, April 18

Dear all,
In this newsletter, we share further VCCA2025 developments. Please get your VCCA2025 abstracts ready before April 25. Remember our high-quality conference is completely free — there is no conference fee, no hotel costs. What you do get is an enriching experience, learning about the latest developments in computational audiology from around the globe. In addition, please consider also submitting to ISAAR 2025, and please fill out this latest survey comparing responses of audiologists to those of ChatGPT-4 and Gemini. Lastly, enjoy our podcast recommendations!

VCCA2025

We are pleased to announce another keynote speaker for VCCA2025!

Brent Edwards (NAL) will present: his views on AI and Audiology. Or will surprise us with something totally different.

Brent is a highly respected figure in the field of audiology and hearing research. As the Director at NAL, he leads significant work on the development and evaluation of hearing technologies, with a particular focus on the application of AI and computational models to improve hearing care. His expertise spans both clinical audiology and innovative technical solutions aimed at enhancing hearing outcomes.

More highlights will be announced soon, so stay tuned! Below is the VCCA2025 timeline:

Important dates

April 25, 2025: Abstract submission deadline
May 14, 2025: Decision notifications (acceptance/rejection)
June 5, 2025: Deadline for submission of video recordings and slides
June 24, 2025: Deadline for registration
June 26-27, 2025: Conference dates

Looking forward to receiving your contributions!

Study in Comparing Audiologist and AI

We are inviting audiologists with at least 2 years of clinical experience to take part in a brief, 10-minute research study exploring how audiologists’ responses compare to those generated by AI systems (ChatGPT-4 and Gemini). The study focuses on common questions related to hearing loss, hearing aids, and tinnitus.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two roles:

Answering Questions
You’ll be asked to provide written responses to six frequently asked audiological questions via a short Qualtrics survey.
Rating Responses
You’ll review six answers to common audiological questions—generated by either AI or audiologists—and rate the quality of those responses using a Qualtrics survey.

You will only be selected to participate in one of these tasks. This research is conducted by Larissa Giezing (University of Pretoria) under the supervision of Prof. De Wet Swanepoel, Prof. Faheema Mahomed-Asmail, and Dr de Sousa.

If you are interested in participating, please complete the consent-to-contact form linked here: Study in Comparing Audiologist and AI responses to Common Hearing Health Questions

Thank you for considering this opportunity!

ISAAR 2025

The International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research (ISAAR 2025) brings together scientific communities to facilitate cross-disciplinary discussions around auditory research and audiology, including topics like physiological concepts, perceptual measures, electrophysiology, neuroscience, and advancements in hearing devices.

Invited Speakers
We are happy to announce that our CAN executive board member Jessica Monaghan will deliver a keynote!
Other sessions include:

The auditory brain: Ed Bartlett, Marc Schönwiesner, Anne-Lise Giraud, Giovanni Di Liberto
Multisensory perception and communication in real-world environments: Janina Fels, Stephanie Lovich, Christopher Davis, Ivana Konvalinka
Computational audiology, AI and auditory profiling: Nicholas Lesicka, Mareike Buhl, Jenelle Feather, Tobias Goehring
Novel hearing technologies and compensation strategies: Varsha Rallapalli, Zheng-Hua Tan, Richard Hendriks, Ina Kodrasi

We expect many CAN members will join the ISAAR meeting

More information https://isaar.eu/

Podcast alert!

Here are two podcasts that may be of interest:

Inside Apple: Sonic Accessibility

We highly recommend the latest episode of the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast, “Inside Apple: Sonic Accessibility.” This episode offers an in-depth look into Apple’s approach to accessible technology. Spoiler alert: you will discover the origin of audiobooks, screen readers, and of course, the development of AirPods. You can find the episode here: Inside Apple: Sonic Accessibility.

Computational Audiology and AI in Hearing Care

The pace of AI in hearing care is breathtaking! Join Jan-Willem Wasmann and Nicole Klutz as they explore the exciting world of computational audiology. From advanced hearing aids to personalized care, discover how AI is revolutionizing the future of hearing. Listen here: Computational Audiology: Improving Hearing Care with AI.