Automated voice calls are an effective method of delivering maternal and child health information to mothers in underserved communities. One method to fight dwindling listenership is through an intervention in which health workers make live service calls. Previous work has shown that we can use AI to identify beneficiaries whose listenership gets the greatest boost from an intervention. It has also been demonstrated that listening to the automated voice calls consistently leads to improved health outcomes for the beneficiaries of the program. These two observations combined suggest the positive effect of AI-based intervention scheduling on behavioral and health outcomes. This study analyzes the relationship between the two. Specifically, we are interested in mothers' health knowledge in the post-natal period, measured through survey questions. We present evidence that improved listenership through AI-scheduled interventions leads to a better understanding of key health issues during pregnancy and infancy. This improved understanding has the potential to benefit the health outcomes of mothers and their babies.

For its first phones of 2024, Samsung focused so much on its "Galaxy AI" features that, physically, the Galaxy S24 series doesn't appear to be much different than the S23. Once again, the company's phones aren't different enough to justify upgrading from their predecessors, especially knowing that the S23 series, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5 and Tab S9 will be getting at least some of these AI features later this year. There's also competition from the Google Pixel 8 series, which offer many of the same new features from a more established AI company. Still, that doesn't mean we should dismiss the Galaxy S24 series altogether. Samsung's AI efforts may be an indicator of smartphone features to come.

Transcription service companies continue to make claims about their AI, but in the absence of any formal set of benchmarks for natural language processing (NLP), most of those claims lack the context required to make a precise apples-to-apples comparison. Dialpad, for example, recently announced that its Voice Intelligence AI technology has surpassed rivals in terms of both keyword and general accuracy. Along with Google, IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Chorus.ai, Avaya, Zoom, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), Dialpad provides end users with automated speech recognition (ASR) and NLP capabilities that can be applied to voice calls and videoconferencing sessions in real time. An analysis of general word and keyword accuracy Dialpad published claims it achieves a word accuracy rating of 82.3% and a keyword accuracy rating of 92.5%.

Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 750G, a 5G-capable processor designed for mid-range smartphones rather than higher-tier devices that might use the Snapdragon 765G. The key feature is an updated 4 TOPS (trillion operations per second) AI system that can do echo cancellation and background vocal noise suppression for gaming, chat and voice assistants. Qualcomm says it can filter noise like "construction, children, or a barking dog" so that listeners only hear your voice. The new chip offers a 20 percent CPU and 10 percent GPU boost over the Snapdragon 730G, thanks to new Adreno 619 GPU and Kryo 750 CPU. And just like the Snapdragon 765G, it supports both mmWave and sub-6 GHz 5G, along with TDD, FDD, dynamic spectrum sharing and multi-SIM support.

Facebook's Portal smart home device is finally launching in the UK – but a human contractor might end up listening to your voice commands. The device, whose AI-equipped camera will follow users around the room in order to keep them in the frame during video calls, will be available to British consumers for the first time from Oct 15. Users will be able to make voice calls using Facebook Messenger and encrypted voice calls using WhatsApp, as well as watch Facebook's TV service in tandem with their friends. But Facebook admits up front that clips of the instructions given to Portal's voice assistant might be passed to human contractors to check whether they have been correctly interpreted by its speech recognition software – unless users explicitly opt out. Andrew Bosworth, Facebook's vice president of augmented and virtual reality, said that Portal would never record the content of anyone's video calls, and that its "smart camera" software remains entirely on the device without any data being sent back to Facebook. "Getting the right people to help review voice transcripts makes the service a lot better," said Mr Bosworth.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the branch of computer sciences that emphasizes the development of intelligence machines, thinking and working like humans. Today, Artificial Intelligence is a very popular subject that is widely discussed in the technology and business circles. Many experts and industry analysts argue that AI or machine learning is the future – but if we look around, we are convinced that it's not the future – it is the present. With the advancement in technology, we are already connected to AI in one way or the other – whether it is Siri, Watson or Alexa. Yes, the technology is in its initial phase and more and more companies are investing resources in machine learning, indicating a robust growth in AI products and apps in the near future.

What Does Machine Learning Have to do with MOS Scores? Human subjectivity in MOS calculations doesn't hold water when it comes to heterogeneous environments. That's where machine learning comes to play. You get a voice call. You want to know its quality.

Google has started offering free voice calls through its Home smart speakers to UK landlines and mobile phones, bringing it in line with US offerings. Following an update rolling out this week, Google's Home and Home Mini smart speakers will be able to place calls to ordinary UK numbers over its wifi connection, for hands-free phone calls. It doesn't need a mobile phone to work, unlike some rival systems. Google Assistant will be able to call any number in your Google Contacts, as well as millions of businesses. Assistant is able to recognise the voice of up to six different users, giving them access to their own personalised contacts, meaning a command to "call mum" should call the right mother.

Amazon announced after the holidays that it had a great season with its Echo devices, but a new report shows the Google Home is catching up. Last month, Amazon said it sold tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices worldwide, selling millions of Echo Dots alone. The Echo Dot, which currently costs $49.99, was the top-selling gadget across all categories on Amazon during the 2017 holiday season. A report released on Friday by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners shows the Google Home had a good holiday too. The report says U.S. customers purchased 31 million Echo units and 14 million Google Home devices in Q4 2017.

Amazon, hoping to replicate the success of its Echo device, is poised to extend its eyes and ears into every part of your life with the launch of new voice-controlled and camera-equipped Alexa devices designed for bedrooms, living rooms and even your car. "Voice control in the home will be ubiquitous," predicted David Limp, Amazon's vice-president in charge of the Echo devices, at an event in Seattle on Wednesday. "Kids today will grow up never knowing a day they couldn't talk to their houses." The Echo has been Amazon's surprise hit in the three years since it launched, finding its way into tens of millions of kitchens around the world, offering internet radio, timers, weather and news reports and voice calls. Now Amazon will start selling a smaller, cheaper version of the original Echo, with fabric and wood veneers, as well a new flagship device called the Echo Plus that promises to work instantly with dozens of smart home devices, such as locks, lights and electric sockets. "Setting up your smart home is still just too hard," Limp said.