We typically wear noise-canceling headphones to drown out unpleasant sounds, such as cars honking or construction machines drilling. But what if you still wanted to hear someone knocking on your door or birds chirping on your walk? New artificial intelligence technology from the University of Washington could soon make that possible. Researchers developed an algorithm that allows users to pick which sounds can filter through their headphones in real time.

Shyam Gollakota is a professor of computer science and engineering at UW. He joins us with more details on the new technology and the ethical implications of choosing your own audio environment.