AI Technology to Alter Call Center Accents
It seems like you might soon be able to ditch that perplexing accent on the other end of the line. Whether it’s a representative from a state government or someone from India, you could be hearing a voice that has been digitally modified through artificial intelligence.
A partnership between France’s Teleperformance—recognized as the world’s largest call center—and American AI firm Sanas has developed a way to adjust Indian accents to mimic American or British tones during calls.
“When I talk to agents in India, it can be a bit challenging to understand them sometimes,” shared Thomas Mackenbrock, Deputy CEO of Teleperformance.
As reported by the Japan Times, he mentioned that their capability to “neutralize Indian accents instantly” is intended to foster a “more personal connection” with customers.
This subtle adjustment could “boost customer satisfaction while cutting down processing times,” according to Mackenbrock, who called it beneficial for everyone involved.
While it’s uncertain which American companies will utilize Sanas’ technology through Teleperformance, the possibilities are quite expansive. Currently, Teleperformance offers outsourced customer support and content moderation for companies like Apple, TikTok, and Samsung Electronics.
In Canada, telecommunications provider Telus has already begun using Sanas’ software.
Telus also partners with a company called Tomato.ai, which Sanas acquired recently. Tomato.ai modifies the acoustic qualities of speech without altering the original voice, as reported by Globe & Mail.
This technology is said to mitigate “accent-related issues” and help with mispronunciations.
According to Sharath Keshava Narayana, co-founder of Sanas, the goal is for technology to “enhance” human interactions instead of replacing them. He emphasized the importance of meaningful communication as global customer interactions grow.
Narayana explained that the inspiration for founding the company stemmed from a friend’s negative experiences as a call center agent, indicating that accent bias was a barrier to understanding. He reflected on how his friends were motivated to find solutions to lessen this bias after witnessing their friend’s struggles.
In the UK, companies like Vodafone and eBay are collaborating with Teleperformance, alongside various government sectors, including the health service.
