Teleperformance, the world’s largest call center operator, is implementing artificial intelligence to modify the accents of its Indian customer service agents in real-time. The company claims this “accent translation” technology will enhance clarity and improve customer interactions.
This new feature, developed by the Palo Alto-based startup Sanas, is being rolled out in India, where many Teleperformance employees support international clients. The AI solution works in conjunction with background noise cancellation technology to improve call quality. Teleperformance has invested $13 million in Sanas and secured exclusive rights to resell the technology.
According to Bloomberg News, Thomas Mackenbrock, Teleperformance’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, explained the technology addresses the challenges of understanding Indian agents. The AI can “neutralize the accent of the Indian speaker with zero latency,” he said. Mackenbrock believes this will create a “win-win” scenario by fostering closer connections, increasing customer satisfaction, and reducing call durations.
Teleperformance, which serves major corporations such as Apple, TikTok parent company ByteDance, and Samsung, has not yet disclosed which clients are using the technology. Notably, the adoption of “accent translation” aligns with Teleperformance’s broader strategy of integrating AI. The company plans to invest up to $104 million in AI collaborations this year, as outlined in its recent earnings report.
The rise of AI-powered chatbots has raised concerns about the future of human-operated call centers. Last year, Teleperformance’s stock experienced a decline after Swedish fintech company Klarna Bank revealed that its AI assistant, powered by OpenAI, was handling the workload equivalent to 700 full-time employees. In response, Teleperformance has emphasized its approach of using AI to supplement, not replace, human employees. The company employs 490,000 people globally as of the end of 2023 and is also leveraging AI for employee training and call quality monitoring.
Sanas asserts that its technology was developed to “reduce accent-based discrimination.”
Critics have voiced concerns that accent neutralization could diminish cultural identity and authenticity in customer interactions, while potentially improving efficiency. The software also filters background noise, such as office chatter. “AI will be ubiquitous, it is already today,” Mackenbrock noted. “But in order to build connections, customer experience, branding awareness, the human element will be incredibly important.”
Despite skepticism surrounding AI in call centers, Teleperformance appears to be seeing positive results. The company anticipates revenue growth of 3% to 5% this year. In the fourth quarter, earnings totaled $2.68 billion, reflecting a 12% increase from the previous year, or 4% on a pro forma basis.
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, recently weighed in on the issue of AI’s effect on the workforce. In a post on X, Siemiatkowski expressed a newfound appreciation for human employees, stating that “in a world of AI, nothing will be as valuable as humans.” While Klarna intends to increase its investments in AI-driven support, Siemiatkowski committed to using cost savings to enhance the company’s human-operated services.
Teleperformance is also expanding its presence in the AI industry by providing essential services to tech companies developing AI models. “Whether it is OpenAI, or any AI model in the world, it needs human support for training,” Mackenbrock said, noting that this includes data creation, testing, and labeling.
