Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more pervasive in our daily lives. While these technologies primarily help us, they can also be used in negative ways, such as scams and fraudulent phone calls, so we need to be aware of them.
A recent Baycrest study found that older people are less likely than younger people to be able to distinguish between computer-generated (AI) speech and human speech.
Björn Herrmann, Ph.D., scientist and leader of the Rotman Research Institute in Baycrest, said: “The results of this study on computer-generated AI speech suggest that older people may be at higher risk of being exploited. I am.” Author of this study. “Research in this area is still in its infancy, but further findings could lead to the development of training programs to help older adults navigate these challenges.”
In this first study investigating AI speech recognition in older adults, young (~30 years old) and older (~60 years old) adults were challenged by 10 different human speakers (5 males, 5 females). The sentences were constructed after listening to the sentences spoken by Using 10 AI voices (5 male, 5 female). In one experiment, participants were asked how natural human and AI voices were. In another example, we were asked to identify whether a sentence was spoken by a human or an AI voice.
Results showed that compared to younger adults, older adults perceived AI speech more naturally and failed to correctly identify when the speech was computer-generated.
The reason for this remains unknown and is the subject of follow-up investigation by Dr. Harman and his team. They ruled out hearing loss and familiarity with AI technology as factors, which may be related to older people’s reduced ability to recognize different emotions in speech.
“As we get older, we seem to pay more attention to the actual words than to rhythm and intonation when trying to get information about the emotions being conveyed,” says Dr. Herrmann. “AI’s speech recognition may rely on processing rhythm and intonation rather than words, which may explain the decline in AI’s ability to discriminate speech in older adults. “
In addition to helping develop AI-related training programs, the results of this and future research may help inform interactive AI technologies for older adults. This kind of technology, which often relies on AI voices, is becoming increasingly applicable to medical, long-term care, and other support spaces for the elderly. For example, therapeutic AI robots can be used to comfort and calm individuals experiencing dementia-induced agitation.
By better understanding how the elderly perceive AI voices, AI technology can effectively meet the needs of the elderly, ultimately improving their quality of life, providing purpose, inspiration and You will be able to lead a fulfilling life.
