What is automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology and what are its advantages for the contact center?

Behind Alexa, Siri, and other virtual assistants there’s a technology first created in the 1950s and improved throughout the years called Automated Speech Recognition (ASR). If you use virtual assistants in your day-to-day life (to schedule meetings, call people, or do grocery shopping), you already know how they can simplify most mundane tasks. But have you considered how ASR can improve the customer experience (CX) in the contact center?

In this article, we’ll explore: 

• What is ASR?
• How does ASR work?
• Types of ASR systems.
• How contact centers can use ASR.

What is ASR and how does it work?

ASR is an AI-powered technology that converts spoken human speech into written text. It is widely used in voice assistants, transcription services, and contact center software. ASR is a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI)—also referred to as “speech-to-text” or “speech recognition”— and uses machine learning algorithms and language models to accurately understand spoken words and convert them into text. 

By 2030, the global market for speech recognition technologies is projected to grow from $12.62 billion in 2023 to $59.62 billion.

How does automatic speech recognition work?

First, the system takes in an audio recording of someone speaking. It then cleans up the audio by removing background noise and making it easier to understand. After that, the system analyzes the audio using special models trained on extensive amounts of data. These models help recognize different sounds and words in speech.

To enhance the transcription quality, the system also relies on a language model. This model is built by studying a large amount of written text and helps predict the most likely words based on what it has learned. It makes sure that the transcribed text makes sense and is coherent. The latest generation of generative AI language models are trained on massive volumes of written text and communicate almost as if they are human.

Once the audio has been processed and analyzed, the system generates a written version of the spoken words. This can be shown in real-time as the person is speaking or saved for later use.

ASR technology is vital in enabling voice-based communication between humans and computers. It actively listens to spoken words, converts them into text, and finds various applications in our daily lives. From answering our questions through voice assistants to efficiently distributing calls in contact centers, it plays a pivotal role.