In this episode of the Coo-ee Podcast, we dive into the fascinating study, “What’s in an Accent? The Impact of Accented Synthetic Speech on Lexical Choice in Human-Machine Dialogue” by Benjamin R. Cowan, Philip Doyle, Justin Edwards, Diego Garaialde, Ali Hayes-Brady, Holly P. Branigan, João Cabral, and Leigh Clark. The study reveals how the accent of virtual assistants influences our word choices during interactions. From “jumper” vs. “sweater” to how partner models guide our communication, this research sheds light on the subtle dynamics of language adaptation in human-machine dialogue. We also explore the implications for designing conversational systems that are inclusive, natural, and culturally aware. Tune in to learn how accents play a crucial role in breaking communication barriers.

📝 Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1145/3342775.3342786

👥 Authors: Benjamin R. Cowan, Philip Doyle, Justin Edwards, Diego Garaialde, Ali Hayes-Brady, Holly P. Branigan, João Cabral, Leigh Clark

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#Hashtags: #ConversationalUI #VirtualAssistants #AccentsInTech #HCI #LanguageAdaptation