[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] another use for AI

[Ken Pogran]

Certainly not Chicago!  I recall my first trips through Chicago O’Hare, decades ago, and announcements on the PA system, “So-and-so, please meet your parr-dee at Gate such-and-such…” — heavily emphasized r sound, and the t almost like a d. (the opposite of a Boston accent).

 

I find “broadcaster English” to be less “flat” than the typical Midwest accent.

 

(Disclaimer: I grew up in New Jersey. If pressed, I can go to an aw-fiss and drink caw-fee. But doing college radio cured me of that.)

 

Ken Pogran

 

From: LCTG <lctg-bounces+pogran=alum.mit.edu at lists.toku.us> on behalf of John Rudy <jjrudy1 at comcast.net>
Date: Monday, August 29, 2022 at 12:09 PM
To: 'Elaine' <scribelaine at gmail.com>
Cc: 'Lex Computer Group' <LCTG at lists.toku.us>
Subject: Re: [Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] another use for AI
Resent-From: Kenneth Pogran <pogran at alum.mit.edu>

 

For what it is worth this was 1965-6

 

My complaint is when HELP DESK folks, who truly need to be 100% understood, are unintelligible

 

John Rudy

781-861-0402

781-718-8334 (cell)

John.rudy at alum.mit.edu 

 

From: Elaine <scribelaine at gmail.com> 
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2022 12:48 PM
To: john rudy <jjrudy1 at comcast.net>
Cc: Michael Alexander <mna.ma at yahoo.com>; Lex Computer Group <LCTG at lists.toku.us>
Subject: Re: [Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] another use for AI

 

... or from Detroit, where I am from. It's the flat Midwest non-accented pronunciation of the region. TV announcers are trained to use it to eliminate region bias.

 

As a Speech/Language Pathology major at the University of Michigan, there was no mention of "standard" English. What we were taught was a phonetic alphabet to use for transcription when evaluating someone's language. Each phoneme has a specific pronunciation and symbol, so we can record properly exactly how someone articulates sounds, accent or not. It even allows transcription of every language with the same symbols.

 

Don't you think that training people from different regions to all sound the same would lose the beautiful, multi-faceted diversity that helps give personality and authenticity to each individual and our melting pot? It would kind of be like wanting everyone to be white and Christian, and then take away cultural and regional differences as well. Once we reach that state, what would be left to talk about? May as well all be converted to rote robots, with no personality or emotion.

 

- elaine

 

On Mon, Aug 29, 2022 at 12:06 PM john rudy <jjrudy1 at comcast.net> wrote:

Jan was a Speech Pathology major at Emerson.  Freshman year they had a class that taught “standard” English.  I think the objective was that everyone sounded as if they came from Chicago

 

John Rudy

781-861-0402

781-718-8334 (cell)

John.rudy at alum.mit.edu 

 

13 Hawthorne Lane

Bedford, MA  01730-1047

 

From: Michael Alexander <mna.ma at yahoo.com> 
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2022 12:00 PM
To: john rudy <jjrudy1 at comcast.net>; Lex Computer Group <LCTG at lists.toku.us>
Subject: Re: [Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] another use for AI

 

Maybe they should, also, translate some regional American accents into ordinary “American”?

    – Mike A

On Monday, August 29, 2022, 11:53 AM, john rudy <jjrudy1 at comcast.net> wrote:

https://mashable.com/article/ai-startup-makes-call-center-foreigners-sound-white#:~:text=This%20time%20around%2C%20Palo%20Alto,of%20making%20them%20sound%20white.

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/attachments/20220829/da7b846e/attachment.htm>