A new artificial neural network is setting high watermarks in the field of speech synthesis and giving robots a voice eerily similar to that of humans.
Whatever you may think of the robotic voices foisted upon the world thanks to Google Voice Search and Siri, you’re unlikely to mistake them for human voices. The state of the art in computer speech synthesis has been stuck at a fairly low level. But new software called WaveNet, from the brainiacs at DeepMind, is setting a high watermark in the field of speech synthesis and giving AI a voice eerily similar to that of a human.
For years, robotics experts have spoken about something called the “uncanny valley”—the creepy feeling one gets when observing a robot that is too mechanistic to be mistaken for a human but not quite mechanical enough to be distinctly robotic.
This story is from the October 2016 edition of PC Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2016 edition of PC Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SMART HOME
SMART HOME
Apple TV 4K 3rd Generation): Best for the Apple-Centric
A powerful, feature-rich media streamer that’s pricier than most
Honda Unveils First All-Electric SUV, Built on GM's Battery Platform
The Honda Prologue battery-electric SUV arrives in 2024 and will use the Ultium battery technology developed by General Motors.
We Must Save Streaming Video Before It’s Too Late
A generation of art risks extinction if the companies that own streaming services don’t believe their vast libraries are worth preserving. We have to act now to save it.
HP Envy 16: An All-Round Performer
A slightly hefty but superb content-creation station
Which Company Has the Worst Online Privacy Policy?
Most people don’t read privacy policies and have no idea what they agree to when signing up for tech services. But fo be fair, most policies are written to obfuscate and confuse.
HOW TO TAKE BETTER BREAKS
Taking breaks is necessary, but when you’re working from home, there’s a fine line between productivity-boosting rests and procrastination. Here’s what you need to know to recharge the right way.
HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR ONLINE STORAGE
Sort out your messy files and folders with this foolproof strategy.
HOW TO IMPROVE WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
Your mode of communication is just as important as the message. Rethinking how you communicate at work can lead fo vastly beffer results.
Crunchyroll: Expansive Anime Library
It’s a one-stop shop.