Speech recognition technology is the hub of millions of homes worldwide – devices that listen to your voice and carry out a subsequent command. You may think that technology doesn’t extend much further, but you might want to grab a ladder – this hole is a deep one.

The technology within speech recognition software goes beyond what most of us know. Speech-to-text, such as Speechmatics’ Autonomous Speech Recognition (ASR), stretches its influence across society. This article will dive into seven examples of speech recognition and areas where speech-to-text technology makes a valuable difference.

1) Doctor’s Virtual Assistant

Despite having vastly different healthcare systems, both the US and the UK suffer from extended wait times. It’s clear that hospitals around the world would benefit from anything that saves them time.

If doctors have easy access to speech-to-text technology, they shorten the average appointment by converting their notes from speech to text instead of transcribing by hand. The less time a doctor spends typing their notes, the more patients they can see during a day.

Furthermore, effective speech recognition systems such as our world-leading ASR cuts out the middleman more frequently. Instead of waiting for a human operative, many medical institutions use speech recognition to help you identify your symptoms and whether you need a doctor.

There is, however, a concern with the information speech-to-text software would ingest – it would likely need to be validated by recognized medical institutions from a data security perspective.

Despite this, speech-to-text in healthcare seems like a no brainer. When you save time, you save lives.

2) Autonomous Bank Deposits

According to a survey from PwC, 32% of customers will ditch a brand they love after a singular negative experience. Good customer service is vital to keeping customers and enticing new ones.

Banks often struggle with customer service, as customers get bounced from employee to manager, explaining the same details repeatedly. This is where speech-to-text software comes into play. As we move further into the 2020s, banks are adapting their services to the technology available.

There are numerous instances of major banks using speech-to-text technology. The Royal Bank of Canada, for example, lets customers pay bills using voice commands. The USAA offers members access to information about account balances, transactions, and spending patterns through Amazon’s Alexa. Banks such as U.S. Bank Smart Assistant provide tips and insights to help customers with their money. If banks want to reduce the need for human employees where possible.

3) Personalizing Adverts

“My phone keeps listening to me!” seems to pop up in modern conversation more and more these days.

What may seem like spyware is in fact speech-to-text technology collecting your data. Your devices listen for accents, speech patterns, and specific vocabulary used to find a consumer’s age, location, and other information. The software then collates that data into keywords which are then fed to you in the form of personalized ads.

While tracking your search history is vital for marketers, speech-to-text offers a more thorough behavior assessment. Text is often quite limited – you say what you need to say in as little words as possible. Speaking is more fluid and offers a better glimpse into your behavior, so by capturing that, marketers can tailor ads more to your needs.

4) Making Our Home Lives Easier

According to Statista, over 5 billion people will use voice-activated search in 2021, with predicted numbers reaching 6.4 billion in 2022. In addition, 30% of voice-assistant customers say they bought the software to control their homes.

In essence, people use speech recognition technology to make their lives easier. It's 2022, why should we trek over to the light switch to turn it on?

The pandemic pushed speech-to-text technology to greater heights, as people ordered shopping through Alexa, Siri, and co more often. Life is becoming as automated as possible.

5) Handsfree Playlist Shuffling

Take a seat in most modern cars and you’ll see ‘Apple CarPlay’ appear on the center console. This allows you to answer and make phone calls, change songs, send messages, and get directions without taking your hands off the steering wheel.

Not only do these features dramatically increase road safety, but they also make the driving experience more comfortable. You don’t need to queue fifty songs in a row and print off directions to your destination. Instead, speech recognition hears your request to send a text message, transcribes, and sends.

None of that would be possible without technology like speech-to-text.

6) Productivity Manager

COVID-19 changed the workplace forever. Offices have adapted since 2020, with many adopting a hybrid approach to working. Speechmatics is no different. Many of our employees work remotely, some work in our head office, and others started using our newly rented WeWork office spaces.

Organizations need to stay modern, or risk being left behind. Speech-to-text technology helps maintain productivity and efficiency no matter where employees are based. Microsoft Teams and Zoom are now office essentials. Emails and documents are transcribed without typing, saving time and hassle.

Meeting minutes are recorded and transcribed so absent workers can catch up. All of this allows for a more forgiving environment where employees can claim back some agency.

7) Giving Air Force Pilots Less to Think About

Fighter planes are the technological pinnacle of most nations’ weapons arsenal. The RAF’s EuroFighter Typhoon, for example, is one of the most feared jets on the planet. A large part of its operating system is done using speech recognition software. The pilot creates a template used for an array of cockpit functions, lightening their workload.

Step back onto the ground and speech-to-text technology is still just as prevalent. Speech recognition helps soldiers access vital mission information, consult maps, and transmit messages in the heat of battle.

Step back even further into government and speech recognition is everywhere. Departments often use it in place of a human operative, saving labor and money.

Speech Recognition Is Everywhere

In this day and age, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an area of your life not influenced by speech recognition technology. The scale is colossal, as while you tell Apple CarPlay to reply to your partner’s message, a doctor is shifting through their transcribed notes, and a fighter pilot is telling their plane to lock onto a target.

Of course, there are still many challenges – the technology is far from perfect – but the benefits are there for all to see. We at Speechmatics will continue to ensure the world reaps ASR’s potential rewards.