How a Mizo-led AI app is helping nonverbal children

A team led by Mizo innovator John V. Paite has made history by becoming the first from the community to win a Webby Award, widely regarded as the “Oscars of the Internet.” 

The global recognition, secured at the Webby Awards 2026 through the People’s Voice Award, places their innovation “My First Voice” alongside some of the world’s leading tech breakthroughs.

“My First Voice” is a purpose-driven AI solution designed to give nonverbal children a voice that reflects their own identity, not just words, but tone, accent, and personality. The project was developed through a collaboration involving MediaMonks India and the Centre for Community Initiative, a nonprofit known for its work with children with disabilities across Northeast India. 

Since implementation, the platform has enabled 10 nonverbal children to express themselves for the first time, from communicating basic needs to even reciting poetry. Parents have reported reduced isolation and greater inclusion, with children participating more actively in family and community life.

Endorsed by speech therapists and featured in over 30 media publications, the project has also significantly reduced technical barriers, cutting voice synthesis time from days to just minutes. As it scales across India, “My First Voice” continues to focus on helping children express themselves, connect, and belong.

In this detailed conversation, John V. Paite, Chief Creative Officer (Creative Tech and Innovation) at MediaMonks India, speaks about the inspiration behind the project, the technology powering it, the challenges of accessibility, and what this milestone means for Mizo innovators.

What inspired you to create “My First Voice,” and was there a particular moment or person that shaped the idea?

The inspiration came from a mix of personal experience and a gradual shift in thinking. Two of my grand-nephews are autistic, so I was already viewing emerging technology through that lens, constantly asking what it could do for children like them. 

The real turning point came during a conversation with a colleague whose niece was also autistic and nonverbal.

At that time, text-to-speech had started becoming widely accessible, and our first thought was to build a voice bank, essentially a way for people to donate their voices for nonverbal children. 

It felt meaningful initially, but the more we thought about it, the gap became obvious. It could give a child words, but not their identity or personality. It would never truly be their voice.

That is when the ambition shifted. The question became more fundamental: How do we give a child a voice that carries their own tone and texture? 

At first, it felt almost out of reach and far beyond what existing technology could deliver. But that was exactly the problem worth solving. That vision, along with my grand-nephews, ultimately shaped what My First Voice has become.

How exactly does the AI interpret and convert a child’s unclear sounds into understandable speech?

We started with one clear principle. This had to be completely non-invasive. It is not a clinical tool, it does not need specialist equipment or hospital visits. It is designed to work on a device families already have, like a phone or tablet, and be usable from day one.

The AI works with what the child already expresses naturally, their hums, vocalisations, fragmented sounds, those small attempts to communicate that are often dismissed. We treat these not as noise, but as a voice print.

We then layer this with speech samples from the child’s immediate family. That matters because language carries identity and geography. A child growing up in Mizoram should sound Mizo, and the same goes for Manipur or anywhere else. The system learns both the child’s natural sound patterns and the local accents, and builds a voice that sits somewhere in between.

At its core, the model is asking a simple question: Given how this child sounds, and how their family speaks, what would their authentic voice have been? It then brings that to life in real time, whether through preset phrases, icons, or typed input, spoken back in a voice that feels like their own.

That said, we are realistic about where this stands today. Right now, it works best for children who can engage with the interface in some way, selecting an icon, choosing a phrase, or typing. 

There is a baseline level of cognitive and motor ability needed, and we are very transparent about that because many nonverbal children are still beyond that threshold.

But for the pilot, keeping it non-invasive was intentional. We wanted to cross the first bridge without the need for a lab, a clinician, or complex hardware. Just a phone, a supportive family, and a few minutes of recorded sound. 

That level of accessibility is critical because the children who need this most are often the ones who never get access to clinical solutions in the first place.

How accessible is this technology in terms of cost, language support, and availability in places like Mizoram or Manipur?

This is a good practical question and yet a very difficult one to answer. The challenge is not so much in cost as it is in language support.

Right now, the best repository for minority languages like ours is Google language data, and even that is still at a very rudimentary stage. In the first phase, the plan is to have everyday phrases as libraries and provide features to customise and save presets at the user’s end.

We are doing what we can within our current capacity, and at the same time exploring different programs and schemes that could support this further.

Ultimately, I would want this to be a free app and widely available everywhere. However, to be very transparent, I have not even looked into the distribution channels yet since there is still a lot to do in the development stage.

How did it feel to receive the People’s Voice Award at the Webby Awards 2026?

While My First Voice had gained some recognition, including being the only project from India at ACT x CANNES 2025, the Webby Awards feels different. It is truly an honour to be recognised on such a prestigious platform, alongside many big global names.

At the same time, the stronger feeling is gratitude. This has been a collective effort, and I could not have done it without my team. More importantly, the children from CCI and their staff trusted us and came on board during the pilot phase. Their willingness made it possible to carry this forward with confidence.

There is also my family, my niece and her husband, and my grand-nephews, who supported this in every way possible. They were also our very first test case, which made a real difference in shaping the product.

But beyond the recognition and awards, the core intent remains unchanged. The focus is still on using AI in a meaningful way, with a genuine purpose to create impact where it matters.

What does this recognition mean for your team and for Mizo innovators?

I think for the team, this is a strong moment of encouragement and a real boost in motivation. I have seen My First Voice being shared across LinkedIn, Instagram, and other platforms. It may feel like a short window of visibility, but for everyone involved, it becomes a lasting milestone. Having “Webby Winner” associated with your work stays with you.

Believe me, this will create opportunities that might previously have been considered highly unlikely. The team members now simply need to leverage this momentum to the best of their ability in their careers and, most importantly, in their ways of thinking.

Do you plan to expand the technology to support more languages or regions, and do you see this being integrated into schools, healthcare systems, or government programmes?

For widely spoken languages already well covered in Google’s database, implementation is relatively straightforward. The real challenge is with minority languages, where data is limited and the foundation is not built yet. 

That needs time, the right partnerships, and a careful approach. Rushing it would only compromise accuracy, and that is not something we want.

On integration, there is clear potential across schools, healthcare, and government. Speech therapy establishments can contribute meaningfully during development, given their expertise. 

Government channels can extend reach to communities that private distribution cannot access. Special needs schools were our core focus for the pilot and will continue to be.

That said, we do not have formal partnerships in place yet, and it is important to be transparent about that. What has changed is the level of incoming interest. More parents are reaching out than I expected, which makes it very clear how real the need is.

What advice would you give to young innovators from the Northeast working on tech for social impact?

I do not think success is defined by ethnicity or geography. The playing field is far more open, and the ambition should be borderless. Whether as Mizos, or the Northeast as a whole, this is another reminder that we can stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone on a global stage.

We are fortunate to have strong creative and technical ability by the grace of God. 

Having worked with teams across different parts of the world, I can say with confidence that we are on par, and in many cases even ahead. The gap is rarely in capability. It is more often in confidence, in how we communicate, and how we position ourselves.

The encouraging part is that the younger generation is already shifting this. You can see more clarity, more confidence, and a stronger presence. If we continue to overcome that reluctance, the ceiling really does open up.

Also Read: Psephology and the Exit Poll ritual: Prediction or a game of darts?