Transforming Communication: Overcoming Accents with AI
Krisp, an audio company, has stunned its contemporaries with the addition of yet another feature that inverts a user’s accent on a call using AI (artificial intelligence). In its initial stages, this transformational technology focuses on the Indian English to American English accent conversion. It promises better communication in higher professional domains.
Krisp’s Vision: Change of Accents for Better Communication
Krisp’s co-founder and executive has revealed that this problem, along with other issues regarding comprehension, is what drove them to create the technology using inspiration from personal experiences of communication problems. “My accent is my downfall; everyone knows I speak English well, but I have trouble making myself understood. This problem needs to be tended to and accent modification is a plausible solution. Having this fought over for two years has now issued us a beta launch,” cites Minasyan. To help those facing diverse English communication issues, the company aims to assist users in overcoming comprehension hurdles emerging due to accents.
How It Works: Preserving Voice, Phoneme Alteration
Krisp notes that the accent conversion stage attempts to maintain the voice features of the speaker as much as possible. The AI applies changes to the phonemes of the speech. This means that the most basic sound components will be shifted to fit American English. The change attempts to ensure that the speaker’s identity is still recognizable whilst producing a better and more distinctly American accent.
Beta Release and Early Feedback
The feature is being released on a beta basis on the Krisp desktop application, enabling users to toggle it on at any time during or before a call. Testing of the beta version has uncovered some issues; participants in early testing reported that some iterations of the processed voice sounded repetitive and lacked proper word inclusion. Krisp recognized these issues, explaining that the glitches stem from the beta stage and promising within a few months that the AI model will further enhance its performance.
Promising Results from Enterprise Testing
Krisp has reported positive results from enterprise testing despite having the beta version’s initial restrictions. The company states that during the tested trial, sales conversion rates increased by 26.1%, and revenue per book rose by 14.8%. These results indicate that the technology may have a substantial impact on the business communication efficacy.
Looking Ahead to Expand Focus on Indian English and Other Accents
Krisp’s primary target on Indian English accents relies on logic. The company points out that Indians form a large percentage of the global workforce in STEM disciplines that are likely to be adopted and embraced. The company plans to increase the number of supported accents, starting with Filipino English, which is slated to be one of the first.
Other players in the field are working on the same technology.
Krisp is not the only company exploring this technology. Startups like GV-backed Sanas are already implementing accent modification technology into call centers, pointing out that there is interest and many possible uses for this technology.
Data Collection and Model Training: User Data Collection and Speech Sample Compilation
The AI model for Krisp was trained on both user-generated data with consent and thousands of encapsulated speech samples containing varying accents and dialects. Compiling meeting transcripts alongside consenting users facilitated more accurate modeling of the assistant.
Completion of User Tasks With No Pre-Training Required
The most important benefit of the proprietary technology is constructing a speaker’s accent profile within the UI during the call without needing any prior training samples, streamlining the experience further. This enables the user to seamlessly access the feature without complicated setup steps.
Future Expansion: Integration with Chrome and Mobile Applications
To extend the reach of its accent adaptation tools, Krisp plans to launch iOS and Android apps for mobile devices this year. Moreover, the company is working on a new Chrome extension to improve integration with Google Meet and other video conferencing tools, enhancing the compatibility of the service.
A New Era of Communication
The advancement of Krisp’s AI accent change feature aids in the flare of breaking down communication challenges. Although it is still developing, this technology can enhance understanding and clarity on a global scale. If the model of artificial intelligence succeeds in fine-tuning and expanding its possibilities, it could pave the way for effective communication devoid of cultural and cross-border limitations.
