Telus Digital deploys AI accent masking in call centres
Telus Digital has deployed AI technology that alters customer service agents' accents in real time, saying it improves clarity and reduces "accent-related friction." The deployment has prompted union concerns about labour impacts and alleged concealment of offshore outsourcing.
What happened
Telus Digital, a division of Telus Corp. responsible for customer experience and call centres, has deployed artificial-intelligence technology that alters the accents of customer service agents in real time.
The technology, provided by Tomato.ai, uses speech-to-speech models to transform live audio by encoding the speaker's voice, modifying pronunciation-related features, and decoding the speech back into audio. Telus Digital states the technology preserves the speaker's voice while improving clarity and reducing 'accent-related friction.'
The company is already using the service internally according to union representatives, though it is not clear whether the feature is yet being used in calls with telecom customers.
Reported impact
Labour representatives at a parliamentary standing committee hearing expressed concern that the feature represents another challenge for workers amid effects of AI on union members and telecom sector job reductions in Canada.
Unions allege the accent-smoothing technology conceals customer-service outsourcing to offshore workers.
Index analysis
The use of technology to alter human voice in customer service reflects debate over how AI is deployed in labour-intensive sectors, particularly following a series of customer-service job reductions in the Canadian telecom sector.
Some commentary suggests the technology may protect service agents from harassment or discrimination based on accent, while other perspectives raise concerns about worker transparency and labour displacement.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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