The world's largest call center will use AI to hide Indian accents

Teleperformance, the world's largest call center, operating in 80 countries and employing about 490,000 people as of the end of 2023, plans to use artificial intelligence to disguise the accents of English-speaking Indians, Bloomberg reports.

Call centers in India that serve international customers will implement "accent translation" and noise reduction technology. Teleperformance, whose clients include Apple, TikTok, Samsung and others, will use these solutions to improve service quality.

The company's deputy chief executive, Thomas Mackenbrock, told Bloomberg that it can sometimes be difficult to understand or hear an Indian agent, and the new technology will help "neutralize" the accent with zero latency. This, he said, will "create more intimacy, increase the customer satisfaction, and reduce the average handling time."

The introduction of AI to hide agents’ accents is one of many strategic investments Teleperformance is making in AI, which the company plans to spend €100 million on. Earlier this year, the company invested $13 million in Palo Alto startup Sanas, which developed the new technology. As part of the deal, Teleperformance also became the exclusive reseller of Sanas’ technology for its clients.

Sanas' website says its technology was designed to reduce accent discrimination. They offer accent concealment for Indians and Filipinos, but they don't limit access to those countries. Instead, their services are available in many regions, including Latin America.