Screenshot from WhatsApp that explains how speech data from the app will be sent to Apple to process transcription requests. Image: WABetaInfo
With the push for greater web accessibility online, companies like WhatsApp, the most widely used mobile messenger application worldwide, are implementing new features. WhatsApp plans to release an AI transcription tool for its 2 billion monthly active users to access. The feature will allow users to receive auto-generated transcripts for all voice messages sent.
WhatsApp’s transcription option aims to provide more accessibility to all users, including those with hearing impairment, as well as those who simply prefer to read their messages versus listen to them.
The new transcription feature, first spotted in the iOS versions of the application by WABetaInfo, is still in the early development stages. The new voice transcription feature will work by sending “speech data” to Apple.
Rather than using a WhatsApp-developed artificial intelligence, Apple’s speech recognition technology will be used to process the transcription request. The process outlined implies that the user’s transcription data won’t be sent to servers on WhatsApp or Facebook, the application’s parent company.
Along with the end-to-end encryption feature released by WhatsApp earlier this year, users can look forward to a more secure and private WhatsApp experience when using the optional transcription feature.
“When a message is transcripted…its transcription is saved locally in the WhatsApp database, so it won’t [need transcription] again if you want to see its transcription later,” WABetaInfo reported.
Screenshot from WhatsApp that explains how speech data from the app will be sent to Apple to process transcription requests. Image: WABetaInfo
With many businesses using WhatsApp to communicate with employees and customers via private chats and groups, this transcription feature is likely to help them keep channels clearer and account for disability needs.
Using transcription within WhatsApp offers:
WhatsApp’s voice transcription will likely offer businesses and individuals new opportunities to engage and communicate with employees and customers, yet the accuracy of these transcripts is one challenge which is sure to arise.
While WhatsApp’s new voice transcription solution avoids the need to go through 3rd party applications to get transcripts, once released, the accuracy levels provided in these transcripts will likely need room for further testing and evaluation.
For business leaders who are looking to provide accessibility to their clients, as well as accuracy to present professionally, using human edited transcription software such as Verbit’s is best practice. Verbit offers businesses useful AI transcription and captioning tools that guarantee 99%+ accuracy to offer employees and consumers equitable experiences when encountering brands and communicating with them. . To learn more about implementing these tools, reach out to us.
Verbit is thrilled to earn a place on TechRadar’s 2021 list of “Best Speech-to-Text Services. TechRadar is a respected source for up-to-date technology reviews for businesses. The list features service providers that offer live transcription and captioning solutions for the corporate world and educational institutions.
Verbit’s high ranking comes just months after it announced that it achieved the highly coveted unicorn status as a tech startup with a more than one-billion-dollar valuation and then acquired VITAC, a leader in media captioning and transcription.
TechRadar touted the increasing accuracy of speech-to-text technology thanks to improvements in machine learning and artificial intelligence. The positive review cited some of Verbit’s innovative features as reasons for the solution’s high ranking among speech-to-text software. TechRadar stated, “Verbit uses a mix of speech models, using neural networks and algorithms to reduce background noise, focus on terms as well as differentiate between speakers regardless of accent, as well as incorporate contextual events such as news and company information into recordings.”
Verbit is proud that its adaptable technology helps capture diverse voices and keep pace with language related to current events. These advantages are critical for many corporate clients and academic institutions that rely on real-time captioning and transcription tools to make schools and workplaces more inclusive and productive.
TechRadar touted Verbit’s ability to offer options for live captioning services and transcription, as well as final transcripts that undergo an extra layer of human editing to ensure 99% accuracy. These fully edited transcripts are available in just four hours, making them a quick and convenient resource for any use-cases that require superb accuracy.
Verbit’s editable transcriptions and robust security sets it apart from other speech-to-text companies, making the service valuable for highly demanding industries, including the government and law sectors.
The Verbit family is excited to continue to push AI-powered speech-to-text solutions forward while promoting inclusivity across various industries>.
Verbit’s technology supports accessibility in schools, corporations, media outlets, the legal world and more. To learn more about speech-to-text tools and translation and audio description services, reach out to Verbit.