The world's largest call center operator, Teleperformance, is rolling out artificial intelligence to modify the accents of its Indian customer service agents in real-time. The company claims this move will make agents more understandable to English-speaking customers and improve overall call quality.

How It Works

Teleperformance has partnered with Palo Alto-based startup Sanas, investing $13 million into its “accent translation” technology. This AI system softens an agent’s accent while also eliminating background noise such as sirens, roosters, or office chatter. The company has exclusive rights to resell this technology to its clients, which include Apple, Samsung, and TikTok.

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"When you have an Indian agent on the line, sometimes it's hard to hear, to understand," said Teleperformance Deputy CEO Thomas Mackenbrock in an interview with Bloomberg. He claims the technology "neutralizes the accent of the Indian speaker with zero latency," resulting in “more intimacy, increased customer satisfaction, and reduced the average handling time. It is a win-win for both parties.”

While initially deployed for Indian agents, the technology is also available for Filipino workers and is being adjusted for Latin American accents. Teleperformance, which employs around 490,000 workers globally, is integrating AI across its business, including AI co-pilots to train employees and AI-based transcription for quality control.

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Investor Concerns

Despite the company's enthusiasm, investors appear skeptical. Teleperformance announced a broader $104 million AI investment this year, but after sharing the news, its stock dropped 11%. Some analysts believe investors are wary of the long-term impact of AI on the traditional call center model.

The rise of AI-powered chatbots has already shaken the industry. Concerns regarding the future of human customer care positions were raised last year when Klarna Bank revealed that its AI assistant could perform the tasks of 700 full-time agents. However, Teleperformance maintains that AI will complement human workers rather than take their place.

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A Threat to Cultural Identity?

Beyond investor concerns, the use of accent-neutralizing technology raises ethical questions. While Sanas promotes its technology as a way to "reduce accent-based discrimination," Bloomberg argues it strips workers of their cultural identity and the authenticity of customer interactions.

The Philippines, for example, has long dominated the call center industry by training agents to speak clear, fluent English. If AI technology becomes widespread, some worry that it could undermine the competitive advantage of these countries.

"AI will be ubiquitous, it is already today," Mackenbrock said. "But in order to build connections, customer experience, branding awareness, the human element will be incredibly important."

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This article The World's Largest Call Center Company Will Use AI To Scrub Indian Accents To 'Create More Intimacy, Increase Customer Satisfaction' originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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