Company
Date Published
Author
Speechmatics Team
Word count
1089
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Inclusivity in tech, particularly in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), has become increasingly important due to the risk of perpetuating discrimination through biased algorithms. ASR systems need to understand diverse voices and languages, including those with disabilities, to be truly beneficial. The current benchmarks for AI achievement do not adequately represent the perspectives of the global majority. Inclusivity in tech means that any piece of technology works independently of who is using it, regardless of language, accent, dialect, or surroundings. Speech recognition technologies have revolutionized our lives but can also be exclusionary, particularly for those with disabilities or from diverse backgrounds. To address these issues, self-supervised learning algorithms are being used to promote accessibility and reduce the reliance on labeled data dependency, which traditionally favors high-resource languages and demographics. Companies like Speechmatics are investing in this technology to create more inclusive ASR products that understand every voice, everywhere, regardless of language, accent, or surroundings.