AI ‘accent masking’ at overseas call centres sparks union backlash in Canada - BERITAJA

A increasing usage of artificial intelligence to change the accents of telephone centre workers successful existent clip is raising concerns among national leaders and academics, who pass the exertion could mislead customers and impact Canadian jobs.

The rumor is drafting scrutiny successful Canada aft labour representatives said astatine slightest 1 awesome home telecommunications institution whitethorn beryllium utilizing the exertion pinch offshore agents.

“We’re alert of astatine slightest 1 of the 3 large telco (companies utilizing it to mask) the accents of offshore agents, altering really customers comprehend who they’re talking to,” said Roch LeBlanc, telecommunications head for Unifor, successful remarks to a parliamentary committee connected April 30.

The “big three” are Rogers, Telus and Bell.

AI devices demonstrated online show really a speaker’s accent could beryllium modified instantly, making English-as-a-second-language (ESL) speakers sound much for illustration anglophones.

The Philippines and India are awesome world hubs for telephone centres serving North American companies, which are progressively outsourcing specified customer work operations to trim costs.

A increasing number of firms are turning to AI to make workers’ reside easier for customers to understand.

The Canadian Telecommunications Workers Alliance is flagging the believe astatine the national level.

Renee Sieber, an subordinate professor astatine McGill University, said the exertion whitethorn look harmless but could person broader consequences.

“Here’s an exertion that a institution whitethorn opportunity is benign, but really could beryllium stealing Canadian jobs,” she said.

Two awesome telecom companies, Rogers Communications and Bell Canada, some denied utilizing AI successful this measurement erstwhile asked by BERITAJA. As of publishing, Telus had not responded to the aforesaid query.

The practice, however, appears to beryllium expanding globally.

Teleperformance SE, the world’s largest telephone centre operator, is reportedly rolling retired AI exertion to “soften” the accents of Indian workers.

Supporters of the exertion opportunity the devices could amended communication.

“It is very difficult sometimes erstwhile you’re connected the statement pinch personification and you can’t understand them and you want thing done,” said Maura Grossman, a investigation professor astatine the University of Waterloo.

But critics reason the exertion could summation outsourcing and trim acceptance of different accents.

“You person to inquire yourself, would (we) beryllium doing this if it was (for an accent from) Australia aliases the U.K.?”  Grossman questioned.

The national authorities has yet to merchandise its long-awaited nationalist AI strategy, but has said it will reside issues of transparency.

It remains unclear whether that would see requiring companies to disclose whether a sound has been altered aliases generated by AI.

For the afloat story, watch the video above.