Why AI software ‘softening’ accents is problematic
Grégory Miras · 2024
Why isn't it a beautiful thing?" a puzzled Sharath Keshava Narayana asked of his AI device masking accents.Produced by his company, Sanas, the recent technology seeks to "soften" the accents of call centre workers in real-time to allegedly shield them from bias and discrimination.It has sparked widespread interest both in the English-speaking and French-speaking world since it was launched in September 2022.Accents are one of the cherished hallmarks of cultural diversity.Bbernard/Shutterstock Why AI software 'softening' accents is problematic