All AI-powered voice platforms aren't created equal, here's why - TechRepublic

Recent advances in voice recognition technology, in the form of virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Cortana, are revolutionizing the way that humans interact with machines. But while Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have produced some of the most popular general speech recognition software available, it doesn't mean that smaller companies can't compete. A new voice AI platform called Voysis, headed by Ian Hodson, Google's former head of global text to speech efforts--responsible for powering things like Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Android apps--is giving enterprises an option for customizable voice recognition software to fit specific needs. Using Alexa, for instance, which is trained on general speech, makes it "difficult to get those tailored in a very good way to another entity's product line or intentions," said Hodson. "A furniture store might have 10,000 items in your inventory, but it's a very specific set of items and with specific pronunciations, descriptions and spellings."