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How speech recognition software is changing the way we communicate

We’ve started talking to our phones again but in a very different way, as speech-activated functions and speech-to-text services get more accurate and useful

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Apps that use speech recognition are becoming ever better, prompting changes in the way we use our smartphones.

One big mobile phone trend of the past 15 years has been the slow decline of calls in favour first of SMS, then of messaging. Since then it’s been all about text over talk, but the creeping use of more and more emojis as a shorthand is quickly transforming into using speech recognition as a way to save time on text input. We may not be chatting to each other as much as we used to, but the new trend is set; we’re talking to our phones again.

From virtual assistants such as Siri, Alexa and OK Google to apps including Dragon Anywhere, Swype, Swiftkey and Baidu’s new TalkType, speech-activated functions and speech-to-text services are growing.

Apple’s Siri is used mostly for dictating short messages, initiating searches and giving commands. Photo: May Tse
Apple’s Siri is used mostly for dictating short messages, initiating searches and giving commands. Photo: May Tse

Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google, claims that 20 per cent of Google searches on smartphones are now entered by voice. Sending messages, creating appointments, getting directions and updating social media – all can now be done using the spoken word, and with ever-increasing accuracy.

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