Irish-owned Blackberry Hearing is embracing artificial intelligence across its business, introducing AI to help customers access hearing care while also investing in a new generation of intelligent hearing devices which use sophisticated technology to adapt to the individual and their surroundings.
The company, which has grown to more than 60 clinics and outlets nationwide and employs 50 people, has introduced Áine, an AI agent developed to help customers navigate the hearing care journey, from an initial concern or enquiry through to accessing an audiologist.
The technology is being led by Dr. Luke Higgins, Analytics & AI Director at Blackberry Hearing, and follows several years of investment by the company in data, analytics and digital transformation.
Áine can engage directly with customers about hearing concerns, help identify whether they require a hearing assessment, aftercare, servicing or other support and provide information on devices, pricing, grants, warranties and appointments. Significantly, the technology connects with live clinic availability across Blackberry Hearing’s national network, enabling customers to find and book appropriate appointments in real time.
According to Dr. Higgins, the technology represents a practical application of AI rather than simply introducing it for the sake of innovation. “AI is dominating the technology conversation, but useful AI has to be built on good data,” said Dr Higgins. “Blackberry Hearing has spent several years investing in its data, analytics, systems and processes. Áine is a result of that work and has been developed around the real customer journey.
“She can help establish what somebody needs, provide relevant information and connect that person with live appointment availability. The technology removes friction around accessing hearing care and, importantly, gives our teams more time to focus on the customer.”
Blackberry Hearing is also developing further AI capability behind the scenes. Known internally as ‘Gráinne’, it is designed to help the wider team quickly recognise which customer enquiries need attention first, so that nobody who has reached out is left waiting too long for a response. Over time, the ambition is for Gráinne and Áine to work together, helping ensure that every enquiry reaches the right person at the right time.
AI is also becoming increasingly sophisticated within the Blackberry hearing devices themselves. The company continues to invest in premium global hearing technology from manufacturers including Widex and Philips, with modern devices using intelligent processing to analyse a wearer’s listening environment and automatically optimise sound.
As an official supplier of the premium Widex range, Blackberry Hearing now offers the Widex Allure 440 AI, one of the latest generations of intelligent hearing technology. The device incorporates AI-assisted sound personalisation alongside sophisticated sound classification which can distinguish speech from surrounding noise and adapt accordingly.
The technology includes Widex PureSound, designed to provide exceptionally natural sound with near-zero processing delay, adaptive feedback control, direct Bluetooth streaming from compatible iOS and Android devices and rechargeable battery life of up to approximately 25 hours.
For users, the complexity of the technology largely happens unnoticed. The hearing device continuously responds to changing environments, whether the wearer is having a conversation at home, walking outdoors or trying to follow speech in a busy restaurant, with the aim of making listening clearer, more natural and less demanding.
Blackberry Hearing provides hearing assessments for adults and children, using advanced diagnostic technology to assess hearing and enable its audiologists to recommend solutions based on an individual’s hearing, lifestyle and needs.
Matthew Gleeson, Managing Director of Blackberry Hearing said, “The potential market for increasingly sophisticated hearing technology is significant. Around one in 12 adults in Ireland lives with permanent hearing loss, rising to approximately half of people aged over 70. An estimated 300,000 Irish adults could benefit from hearing devices, yet only around one in five currently uses them”.
The move into AI comes as Blackberry Hearing enters another period of expansion. Founded in 2015 by Dave Gleeson and John Ryan to provide high-quality hearing solutions at accessible prices, the company has grown into one of Ireland’s leading hearing device providers.
Blackberry Hearing now operates nine standalone retail stores alongside its nationwide clinic network and employs 50 people, including 17 fully qualified audiologists. Supported by investment from Abbey International Finance, it plans to recruit a further 15 team members before the end of 2026.
The company has also expanded through strategic partnerships with Tesco Ireland and Uniphar. Dedicated Blackberry Hearing experiences have been introduced at Tesco Extra locations, while its position as an official Tesco Clubcard Rewards Partner allows customers to receive triple value on Clubcard points towards the cost of Blackberry Hearing devices. Further retail expansion is planned.
For Dr. Higgins, AI presents an opportunity to make a growing healthcare business more efficient without losing the human relationship at the centre of hearing care. “The purpose of AI is not to replace an audiologist,” he said. “Clinical assessment, professional judgement and the relationship with the customer remain human. What technology can do is remove unnecessary administration, make information easier to access and help the right customer reach the right professional more quickly. AI should not make hearing care feel less personal. Used properly, it should help more people reach the personal care they need.”
As both hearing devices and the systems surrounding hearing care become increasingly intelligent, Blackberry Hearing believes technology will play a major role in making hearing support more personalised, accessible and responsive, while allowing audiologists to concentrate on the part of the process where human expertise matters most. For more see www.blackberryhearing.ie