Just a few decades ago, true voice recognition seemed like science fiction. Now, like cellphones and portable scanning devices, voice recognition is beaming down to become an integral part of our everyday life. Here are just a few ways in which voice recognition software is helping customers “make their voices heard” in a whole new way.
- Helping the Disabled
One of the most obvious benefits of voice recognition software coming into its own is the fact that it allows people to “write” who might otherwise be physically unable to do so.
In fact, the idea of “voice recognition” helping the physically disabled write is hardly new. John Milton was blind by the time he wrote Paradise Lost, dictating his massive epic poem on the War of Heaven to those taking dictation. Swap out a quill-scratching secretary hearing one of the world’s most iconic poems being dictated aloud line by line, and imagine Siri or Microsoft Word doing the job instead.
Voice recognition has the chance to give voice to those who might otherwise be denied it.
- Freeing Your Hands
When on the job at the office, it can feel as though you need five hands at once to accomplish everything that needs doing. While that particular breakthrough is still a ways off, voice recognition software can free up your hands to do other things while you use voice dictation or conduct calls.
- Faster Work
Freeing up your hands isn’t the only thing that can make dictation go faster. Voice recognition can also help you “type” more words per minute than you could with your hands. While the average worker can type at a rate of 50 to 70 WPM, voice recognition programs can produce as many as 120.
Of course, a common issue with voice recognition has long been having it recognize your voice. The accents of English speakers working in Manhattan, Manchester, and Melbourne are bound to be quite different, to say nothing of the hundreds of other accents in the English language alone. Thankfully, voice recognition has improved dramatically in recent years, with accuracy rates in the 80 to 90% range and above becoming common.
These three huge benefits have voice recognition poised to become a leading voice in the way we do business.