Noise to Knowledge
Small Sounds with Big Impacts
In the rush to apply AI everywhere, the applications that stand out are the ones that unlock data in ways that were never before possible. These are the kind of leaps that provide orders of magnitude more access and change our perception of long standing issues. That is what fascinates me most. Our bodies are producing and streaming out data all the time, amongst the richest and most overlooked sources are the sounds of the heart and lungs. These sounds are not just noise. They are structured frequencies carrying rich and specific information about how vital organs are functioning.
Two hundred years of stethoscopes and clinical expertise have proven that the information is there. Trained ears have long been able to hear the subtle signs of disease in these sounds. It is not just about one metric like heart rate or blood pressure. Many diseases leave signatures that can be detected in audio. Valvular disease, pulmonary edema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancers, atrioventricular blocks, and heart failure can all present acoustic clues, often early in their progression.
The barrier has never been whether the information exists. The barrier has been how to collect it, interpret it, and use it at scale. Traditionally this required specialized training, equipment, and the patient in the same place as the expert. That model was never going to work for population-level screening. But the demand for better early detection is growing, and this is exactly where AI changes the equation. We now have the ability to record these sounds, train machines on them, and apply the same grade of clinical expertise instantly and reproducibly to millions of people.
Heart murmurs are a clear example. A murmur is a distinct sound produced by turbulent blood flow in the heart. These sounds carry signature tones, volumes, and timing that are directly tied to the structure and function of the valves. Some murmurs are harmless, while others are (for example) the first signs of aortic stenosis or mitral regurgitation, diseases that affect millions and often progress silently for years.
For patients, the value of detecting a murmur is straightforward. It can provide reassurance when no immediate problem is found, or it can trigger medical surveillance and timely treatment when disease is present. Valve disease often advances without symptoms in its early stages. Identifying it early can prevent sudden deterioration and make planned interventions safer and more effective.
For health systems, early murmur detection improves patient flow and reduces avoidable emergencies. It helps prioritize and plan care while reducing the cost of late stage admissions and readmissions. Capturing and analyzing these sounds at scale turns a fleeting body noise into a durable biomarker, one that supports medical decision making and makes detection more efficient.
The murmur is just one example that shows the intrinsic value in these sounds. A signal that can calm fears, extend lives, and guide patients into the right care at the right time. In cardiovascular health and beyond, that makes it one of the most powerful forms of data we have.
To make this more tangible, here are two recordings:
Normal heart
A heart with aortic regurgitation