SoftBank develops AI voice tech to protect workers from angry customers

SoftBank aims to tackle the growing stress levels among call-centre staff, who are facing an increasing number of angry outbursts from dissatisfied customers

Japanese tech giant SoftBank Corp has introduced an innovative voice-altering phone technology to mitigate the escalating issue of “customer harassment.” This artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solution transforms even the most irate callers into sounding calm and composed, thereby alleviating stress levels among call-centre operators, reported The South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The Tokyo-based company aims to address the rising stress experienced by call-centre staff who are increasingly subjected to angry outbursts from dissatisfied customers, said the report.

SoftBank engineers have been developing the “emotion-cancelling” system for three years, inspired by Toshiyuki Nakatani, an employee who witnessed a television programme highlighting the verbal abuse endured by many staff members.

“We developed ‘emotion cancelling’ in response to the social issue of customer harassment of call-centre staff and to protect them,” Nakatani was quoted as saying by SCMP.

The technology employs a two-step process. First, it uses AI voice-processing technology to identify an angry caller and extract the key features of their comments. The second step involves integrating the acoustic characteristics of a non-threatening voice to produce a natural and calm tone. This approach allows operators to comprehend the situation without being overwhelmed by aggressive intonations.

The AI system has been trained to recognise over 10,000 items of voice data, with 10 male and female actors delivering more than 100 common phrases in various emotional tones, including shouting, accusations, and demands for apologies.

Importantly, the technology does not alter the caller’s words but significantly tones down the intonation. Callers remain unaware of the modifications to their voice.

For instance, a high-pitched female voice is automatically lowered to be less resonant, while a booming male voice is raised in pitch to sound softer. Despite the alterations, some elements of anger are retained to ensure that operators can appropriately respond to the caller's concerns.

A recent survey conducted by the 1.8-million member UA Zensen union, Japan’s largest industrial union, revealed that 46.8 per cent of service industry workers had experienced customer harassment in the past two years. Some were so traumatised that they required counselling.

In response, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to implement a local ordinance to curb customer harassment by banning “abusive and unreasonable demands that harm workplace environments.” However, the ordinance will not impose any punishments.