IBM develops computerized voice that actually sounds human

If there's one thing that still grates our nerves, it's automated calling systems. Or, more specifically, the robotic beings that simply fail to understand our slang and incomprehensible rants. IBM's working hard and fast to change all that, with a team at the company's Thomas J Watson research division developing and patenting a computerized voice that can utter "um," "er" and "yes, we're dead serious." The sophisticated system adds in the minutiae that makes conversation believable to Earthlings, and it's even programmed to learn new nuances and react to phrases such as "shh." The technology has been difficulty coined "generating paralinguistic phenomena via markup in text-to-speech syntheses," and while exact end uses have yet to be discussed publicly, we can certainly imagine a brave new world of automated CSRs.

[bonaqo Posted Feb 2nd 2009 8:54AM]

I welcome our... er... human sounding... um... robotic overlords (yes I'm dead serious)

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 8:59AM]

Beat me to it by mere minutes

[suncho Posted Feb 2nd 2009 11:45AM]

Hasta la vista... um... baby! I'll be... er... back!

[Blackstar Posted Feb 2nd 2009 12:22PM]

Now all we need is the dyslexia plug-in and the stutter/lisp filter and it will be perfect.

[OneLove Posted Feb 2nd 2009 2:23PM]

Er, um...apparently providing a video or audio sample still evades IBM.

[Why should I have all the fun Posted Feb 2nd 2009 6:54PM]

This is perfect for the new robot I'm developing that farts and has bad breath.

[E71 Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:11PM]

"Oh, E71, I am so hot for you. Uh, Uh, Uh..."

[gemcosta Posted Feb 2nd 2009 8:58AM]

Next step...cybernetic organisms!

And then... The WORLD!!!

[spasewalkr Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:54AM]

ooo...definitely took a double take on that one. thank you.

[Kaitou KID Posted Feb 2nd 2009 8:56PM]

How is this news? We already have this technology built into AHNOLD SCHWARZENEGGAH. rofl

[oddtodd Posted Feb 2nd 2009 8:58AM]

Would...you...like...to play...a game?

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:14AM]

Tic Tac Toe?

[Blackstar Posted Feb 2nd 2009 12:31PM]

Mr. McKitrick, after careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that your defense system sucks.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 6:50PM]

Global.... thermonuclear war?

[FraggleRock Posted Feb 2nd 2009 8:59AM]

One word: proofread

[suncho Posted Feb 4th 2009 3:38AM]

One word: proofreak

[Standup Philosopher Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:02AM]

I knew it. Towards the end of the century we won't be driven to extinction by terminators, Skynet, or insect-like hover drones. No, our fate will be sealed by an army of semi-autonomous Rosie Perez (plural: Rosies Perez???) that speaks worse English than we do.

[Erb Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:02AM]

Telemarketers all just got a scared about loosing their job.

YAY!

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:53AM]

Better yet, 900 operators are scared about losing their jobs ( =

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:03AM]

This article is useless without an example :(

[Jimmmah Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:04AM]

microsoft sam better polish up is resume

[superhobo Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:05AM]

I wouldn't want it to sound too real though.

[craigieb Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:06AM]

I'll be more impressed when they've got it speaking Mumbai-accented English.

[peepeeland Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:37AM]

http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php

choose Anjali...

[newreformation Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:07AM]

SOI

[VampireHunterZ Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:07AM]

Actually the Sprint automated voice is pretty good. I forgot her name but it's definitely the best I've heard. Not believable but close enough.

[AMiSHPiRACY Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:12AM]

this article has inspired me to start shhh'ing tele-marketers.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 11:06AM]

Exactly what I was thinking...

[Takashi Omoto Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:13AM]

"Please state your name followed by the, whatchamakallit... ah, hash mark."

"Your call is now being directed to a er, specialized operator."

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:21AM]

Robot voice, robot voice...all the kids on the streets love the robot voice.

[gp Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:23AM]

Of particular interest is the image of the guy trying to insert some admittedly small, but clearly not enough, black thing in his ear and frowning at the insurmountable difficulties the problem presents.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:24AM]

big boy... BIG BOY!

[thethirdmoose Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:28AM]

This is your president, John Henry Eden.

[Absinthe Posted Feb 4th 2009 8:16AM]

hahahahaha!!!!! uprated for the fantastic, perfectly placed yet still subtle reference to an amazing game!!!!!!! :-D

[superhobo Posted Feb 2nd 2009 12:06PM]

I hereby declare your comment as the best on this article.

It is not possible to outdo you.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:29AM]

Polish synth is still better:

http://www.ivona.com/

[Hydraulics Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:36AM]

"We robots can try to help with your queries if you hold on, but if you still want to speak to a human press 0".

[RupanIII Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:02AM]

I have to say it think TomTom did this first.
Anyone ever heard the default computer voices?
What do you think? Routing quality aside.

[Mikkis74 Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:46AM]

IBM is the real world Cybernet.

[Alex Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:29AM]

1. Audio or it didn't happen.

2. I imagine this could get annoying. I get pissed when it takes more than 2 seconds for a page to load. Imagine waiting while your GPS system "um"s and "er"s through a set of driving directions.

[Rick36 Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:30AM]

Can they give it a Bengali accent?

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:49AM]

All your base are belong to us

[erh Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:52AM]

Yamaha already has computer voices that sound human and can sing!
http://www.vocaloid.com/

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:53AM]

One step closer to Skynet.

Had to be said.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 10:57AM]

Alex sounds OKay to me.

[magallanes Posted Feb 2nd 2009 11:00AM]

Can you choose the Pierce Brosnan voice?

[swight Posted Feb 2nd 2009 11:05AM]

No one can find a sample of this?

Come on engadget! :)

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 11:08AM]

It sounds like this research will also improve voice recognition; think Dragon Naturally Speaking...

[Conceyted Posted Feb 2nd 2009 11:21AM]

Okay, so we get an article about the voice, yet no sound clip? I know this isn't engadget's fault but someone must be blamed for this!

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 2nd 2009 11:23AM]

and the plus of this is? this is just a gift to telemarketers, i'm still going to have to wait hours on those helplines regardless.

Nick Ross
www.jazdtech.com