Abstract Cisplatin-induced ototoxicity limits its clinical utility and may adversely impact cochlear implant outcomes. This study investigated the role of the HES1/PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis in cisplatin-evoked cytotoxicity in HEI-OC1 auditory cells. Our results demonstrated that cisplatin treatment significantly upregulated HMGB1/NLRP3-mediated inflammatory responses, as evidenced by increased protein levels of HMGB1 and NLRP3, along with elevated mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β.