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Dialogue Management

14
Apr
Talkbot Basics
A Guide to Conversational Voice Artificial Intelligence: The Terms explained
Jennifer Zhang

Jennifer Zhang

CEO & Co-Founder

Despite its recent rise to the limelight, Conversational Voice AI has only just started to gain recognition, with many still unfamiliar with the terms that are used. Here is a quick guide on what the acronyms are and an explanation of its functions.

What is Conversational Voice Artificial Intelligence?

Conversational Voice Artificial Intelligence comprises of what we termed as voice activated machines, with notable examples including Apple’s Siri, Google’s Home Assistant, Alexa by Amazon and including WIZ.AI’s Talkbot. Under its broad umbrella, it also includes other intelligent assistants such as the chatbots that appear at the side of your screen when you visit a website.

In Conversational Voice Artificial Intelligence, humans would use not only use their voice to provide these machines with commands or to ask questions; it is also possible for the AI to have hyper-realistic conversations with its users. The AI’s unique capability of understanding nuances in the user’s responses and context of the conversation are made possible with machine learning, text to speech engines, natural language processing and natural language understanding, hereby creating a lifelike experience for whoever it interacts with. The above terms would be explained in the following sections.

An Explanation on Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Natural Language Processing focuses on the interaction between computers and human language and allows the machine to comprehend the content of the language, be it speech or written text. Natural Language Processing also gives the computer the ability to understand the context of the conversation as well as the nuances in the user’s response, a process also known as intent recognition. Used not only in speech recognition but also in machine translation and predictive typing, Natural Language Processing is a foundational building block of artificial intelligence that gives the computer the capacity to understand the human language, process it and generate useful information for humans in an efficient manner.

What about Natural Language Understanding (NLU)?

This is where it gets a little more complicated (but not to fear! We’ll explain it). Natural Language Understanding is a subtopic of Natural Language Processing and it utilizes syntax (or arrangement of the words) and grammatical rules in the language to understand the user’s responses and its context. It involves processes like sentiment analysis where lines are interpreted to decipher their emotions (whether positive, negative or neutral). Commonly used on survey responses or customer reviews, NLU processes data with speed and efficiency, while rendering value-added insights which fit the context and emotions in the situation it is used. Lastly, NLU is also capable of categorizing natural language into topics to ensure that the user is transferred to the right agent for each nuanced customer service need.

Text to Speech (TTS)

Text to speech involves the use of a human voice to produce a realistic recitation of any written text into spoken words. An example of how it is used in a customer service A.I would be when the customer’s phone number (which is specific to the caller and different for everyone) has to be read in the call for a personalized experience. As it is impossible to hire a voice actor to record every single combination of numbers to form an identification number, text to speech speeds up the process with its ability to immediately convert a written text into a verbal recording. An immense amount of work is required to make a robotic voice sound realistic given the unique intonations and emotions that are often embedded in our day-to-day speech.

Speech to Text (STT)

If we follow the train of thought from the above section, logically, the Speech to Text feature is demonstratedwhen the caller’s voice is transformed into text. Also known as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), it basically means to “log” or “transcribe” the call. With the contents of the call automatically transcribed into text, it is much easier for the company to analyse and conduct audience segmentation, which is essential for creating targeted marketing strategies to boost business results. As transcribing calls can be a tedious process that requires a good listening skills and lighting-speed typing for any human agent, it is not surprising that this process is automated for higher efficiency and cost-savings. 

Dialogue Management

In the processes of creating a computer which can communicate with customers, it is important to build thestructure of how the conversational flow is like to ensure that the call experience is as intuitive and realistic as possible. This involves analyzing real life phone calls, putting yourself into the shoes of the customer to understand their needs and thought process. Dialogue management can involve two main processes: First, Dialogue Modeling which involves tracking the state of the dialogue, and Dialogue Control, where dialogue managers determines how the flow of the conversation with the A.I would be like.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

More often than not, the chirpy jingle of the customer service hotline is followed with a an instructional speech that says something like, “For inquiries related to  ­­­___, press one” and then you would proceed to input the right number into your keypad. This input then transfers you to the agent that specializes in handling your calls. The process of keying in a number into your keypad signals to the IVR; which is a basic feature used to manage your call and divert it accordingly to the appropriate handling agent.

Overall, the aforementioned components work together to create an intelligent robot that is not only able to increase your cost efficiencies but also drive your sales as it is able to encompass all the best practices of your agents. Coupled with machine and deep learning technologies, the innovation Conversational AItechnology improves every time with each customer interaction and call. With every customer conversationtranscribed and documented for easy analysis, companies are able to derive useful customer insights with no effort at all, which goes a long way in creating more personalized customer experiences and hence ensuringbrand loyalty.

In Conclusion

Though Conversational Voice AI is definitely an innovative technology which is constantly evolving, there is still a need for a human touch in the world of customer engagement. The best solution would be a combination of the two, Conversational Voice AI to help handle the rule-based, self-serve option, together with a Human Agent who can take care of the high value customer engagements.

Register for a quick demo to see how your business can benefit from WIZ.AI Talkbot automations.

 

 

 

 

 

 


25
Feb
Featured Articles  ·  Main Posts
Carro Develops Southeast Asia’s First AI-Driven Customer Service Voicebot To Turbocharge Digitalisation Of Auto Industry

SINGAPORE, 25 February 2021 – Carro, Southeast Asia’s largest automotive marketplace, continues to enhance its digital infrastructure and capabilities to lead the transformation of Southeast Asia’s automotive industry for the benefit of car owners. The company has developed an automotive Talkbots module powered by WIZ A.I. to hyper-personalise Carro’s engagements with customers who are looking to sell their vehicles.  

TalkBots, or conversational voice artificial intelligence, are several orders of magnitude more complex compared to your everyday virtual assistants on your phone or laptop. Powered by WIZ A.I. proprietary artificial intelligence framework, it allows the caller to interact with the Talkbot using natural spoken language, offering a truly authentic human-like conversational experience. The Talkbot listens, understands and speaks several different ASEAN languages with localised accents, it even incorporates human-like actions such as pauses, clarification statements and chasing statements. They are so realistic that over 95% of callers can’t tell the difference between a TalkBot and a human agent.  

Launched in December 2020, the TalkBots were first deployed in Indonesia as part of a regional rollout.  Since its deployment, the Talkbots have engaged with over 20,000 potential leads that the local call centre operation would not otherwise have addressed. The Talkbots were able to handle almost four times the volume of calls as compared to a human agent, with a similar customer response rate. Additionally, TalkBots can handle the entire conversation for the vast majority of calls, and customers regularly thank the TalkBots once when the call concludes.

The ability to address a high volume of leads ultimately led to a significant increase in additional transactions, giving Carro an edge over its competitors in accessing a greater portion of the Indonesian market. “Southeast Asia’s automotive sector is in the thick of a digital revolution. While Carro has undertaken many industry firsts over the past few years, COVID-19 catalysed our drive to better engage with our customers through multiple avenues,” said Aaron Tan, CEO & Founder of Carro. “Carro will continue to invest in innovative technologies, and work with like-minded ecosystem players to benefit car owners.”

Carro has launched Talkbots in Indonesia and will extend it to Singapore and Malaysia to turbocharge growth within the region’s automotive industry. The service will be continuously updated and improved to enhance the customer experience and engagement.

“We believe that voice is the new great frontier of customer engagement since digital. By working closely with Carro, we both have grown tremendously, pushing the boundaries together, to provide a better customer experience,” said Jennifer Zhang, CEO and Founder of WIZ.AI. “It is the caller experience that sets our conversational voice AI Talkbots light years ahead of the competition. They are practically indistinguishable from a human agent, it understands natural spoken language and provides an authentic human experience by incorporating the unique nuances of language present in different communities.”

How Carro is leading the AI-driven digitalisation of Southeast Asia’s auto industry

This AI-powered voice bot signifies the latest step in the firm’s drive to transform the traditional auto retail experience across the region.

Carro currently offers Southeast Asia’s first contactless car purchasing service in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand which allows customers to browse cars on Carro’s website at their convenience. All subsequent interactions – including Carro’s proprietary 150-point vehicle inspection – are powered by the company’s platform and pricing algorithms. 

In Malaysia, Carro is pioneering more industry-firsts across the region. Its subsidiary myTukar recently deployed an autonomous Car Defect Detection and Car Plate Masking system. Leveraging on AI, computer vision and machine learning, this innovation can detect car defects within three seconds, thereby helping to automate and standardise the often-lengthy car inspection process. Carro will soon extend this technology to Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

As a company that offers a full-stack service for all aspects of car ownership, Carro understands that transforming the industry must go beyond sales and purchases; it must also improve drivers’ experience with the typically burdensome ownership process. 

Their usage-based insurance offering uses AI and data science to assess driver behaviour and distance travelled. This enables Carro to provide customised insurance premiums that better reflect the way they drive, especially when considering current movement restrictions.

Source: Carro Press Release 


01
Feb
Featured Articles
Wiz.AI boosts virtual telco, Zero1, with its conversational AI technology
Revolutionary voice AI technology enhances customer engagement at scale

SINGAPORE, Feb. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Singapore based start-up, Wiz.AI, is proud to announce its latest partnership with Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), Zero1. The implementation of Wiz.AI’s conversational Talkbots has allowed Zero1 to not only automate outbound calls from their call centre, it has also enabled the telco to engage with its customer base at scale.

Now, Zero1’s customers can interact with Wiz.AI’s Talkbot to immediately address their queries at any time of the day.

Talkbots, or conversational voice artificial intelligence, are virtual customer service representatives, powered by Wiz.AI’s proprietary artificial intelligence technology. The Talkbots can understand each unique conversation in the caller’s natural spoken language, incorporate unique nuances from human speech and reply in a hyper-realistic human-like localised accent that ensures customer experience is not compromised. When further assistance is required, the Talkbots will redirect the calls to the next available human agent.

The automation of Zero1’s outbound customer engagement has increased the response rate at nearly four times of a customer service representative, without compromising on the customer interaction.

“We are excited to be working with Zero1 to enhance their customer engagement. Our proprietary conversational voice AI framework helps organisations increase their efficiency by automating routine rule-based tasks, allowing the human agent to focus on more complex customer issues. Our Talkbots are continuously evolving and improving their accuracy in recognising the various consumers’ needs with every call. In addition, our conversational AI framework can be deployed quickly and tailored according to different requirements in different industries. The possibilities are endless with conversational Talkbots,” said Jennifer Zhang, CEO and co-founder of Wiz.AI.

“Wiz.AI’s in-depth customer engagement data has allowed us to proactively engage with our customer base with urgent queries that they might have particularly during recent uncertain times. With Wiz.AI’s Outreach Talkbot, we can reach out and reassure our customers that we are constantly hearing their needs,” added Stuart Tan, CEO and founder of Zero1.

Each call is recorded and automatically categorised according to the customers’ call intention and interest levels. With this new depth of customer data, Zero1 is able to categorise customers into different groups and deliver hyper-personalised customer outreach based on their specific needs and levels of interest.

Wiz.AI’s Talkbots are highly adaptable and customisable, allowing them to deliver automated conversations for a multitude of business applications across industries. Wiz.AI has also built a global competitive advantage by being able to localise its speech recognition to the language and accent of its users. The start-up’s Talkbot system currently supports languages including English, Mandarin, Singlish and Bahasa Indonesia.

 

About Wiz.AI

 

Wiz.AI is revolutionizing the customer service industry by using Voice Artificial Intelligence to digitalise the process of inbound and outbound calls. Wiz.AI helps companies engage with their customers at scale with hyper-realistic Talkbots that can communicate effectively with customers using natural spoken language.

 

The company has a sizable portfolio of clients ranging from industries such as telecommunication and ecommerce to banks, insurance and finance. Wiz.AI’s technologies have empowered clients to effectively engage with their customers at scale and to shift from a reactive customer engagement experience to a proactive one with clear returns on investment for their businesses.

About Zero1

Zero1 Pte Ltd was founded in 2017 as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) licensed by the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore. Its vision is to become a major regional mobile service provider offering unparalleled value to its customers with its unlimited mobile data plan and competitive pricing. Zero1 aims to achieve this through strategic partnership as well as innovative and disruptive use of state-of-the-art technologies. In March 2018, Zero1 launched an unlimited mobile data service at only $19.00 — the first truly unlimited data service in Singapore, thus setting the scene for more such services to follow. Today Zero1 has over 100,000 subscribers signed up in Singapore. It is establishing a regional presence in S.E. Asia.

This article was Published on Yahoo!Finance
 

 

 

 


11
Dec
Featured Articles  ·  Main Posts
Four startups win inaugural Microsoft Emerge X pitch competition in APAC

The Emerge X Program sits within Microsoft’s Highway to a 100 Unicorns initiative, which discovers and nurtures high potential technology startups & grows the ecosystem in emerging markets across APAC

 

SINGAPORE, 7 December 2020 – Four startups from Vietnam, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Singapore are winners at Microsoft’s inaugural Emerge X Regional Pitching Competition in Asia Pacific:

  1. Abivin from Vietnam: An AI-powered platform that optimizes supply chains across multiple sectors by solving the vehicle routing problem
  2. Lifetrack Medical Systems in the Philippines and Singapore: A cloud-based platform that provides affordable access to medical imaging in emerging markets
  3. Agrithmics from Sri Lanka: A cloud-based solution that enriches the agri-industry by digitizing the farm to factory supply chain and connecting farmers and buyers
  4. Milky Way AI, from Singapore: An AI-powered smart retail solution leveraging image recognition technology to help retailers manage shelf inventory and maximize sales

“For Asia Pacific to remain at the forefront of global transformation, it takes disruptors, visionaries, and futurists. There are no limits to what people can achieve when the world and technology reflect the diversity of everyone who uses it. Which is why at Microsoft, we build technology so that others can create technology, and to be successful we all need to come together,” said Andrea Della Mattea, President, Microsoft Asia Pacific. “Through the Highway to a 100 Unicorns and our Emerge X program, we aim to help startups on the road to innovation, where they can meet unarticulated needs of the industry and help businesses become resilient.”

“Singapore is known as Asia’s technology capital and the ongoing pandemic has presented new opportunities for the startup scene. As the ecosystem continues to grow, it is essential that we nurture local startups to fuel the growth of new ideas and impactful innovations. This year, we are thrilled to recognize talent from our shores coming from industries like healthcare, retail and financial services under the Microsoft Highway to a 100 Unicorns initiative and Emerge X program. We look forward to helping these startups succeed, by providing them with the latest resources and capabilities that will enable them to translate ideas into market-ready solutions.” Kevin Wo, Managing Director of Microsoft Singapore.

 

Growing the Startup Ecosystem in Emerging Markets across APAC

The Emerge X Program is part of Microsoft’s Highway to a 100 Unicorns initiative, which was launched in Asia Pacific in October 2020 after overwhelming success in India. Microsoft engaged with more than 70 prominent startup ecosystem players and governments across 16 countries, who then nominated more than 300 of their most promising for the program.

The 16 countries engaged in the program are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.

79 startups were selected to join the Microsoft Emerge X program, including Accredify, Bambu, JobKred, Lifetrack Medical Systems, Milky Way AI, Sentient.io, Tookitaki and Wiz.Ai from Singapore. As an Emerge X startup, they will participate in a year-long mentorship program with Microsoft for Startups which is designed to help them scale and accelerate their growth. They will also receive GitHub and Azure credits, have the opportunity to attend a Founder Bootcamp for 3 days, gain access to enterprise clients globally through Microsoft’s unique co-sell program, and interact with Microsoft experts and industry stalwarts.

Of these, 21 of the Emerge X startups pitched their ideas at the Emerge X Regional Pitching Competition, held at the Philippine Startup Week 2020, with Abivin, Lifetrack Medical Systems, Agrithmics and Milky Way AI identified as the top startups in the whole region. They were selected by a jury of leading investors and startup ecosystem leaders, including investors from BOV Capital, Cradle, Monk’s Hill Ventures, Movac, M12, SBK Tech Ventures, Sequoia, Vista Consulting Group, and 54i Ventures, and ecosystem leaders from GitHub and Target Accelerator.

Details on the top four startups can be found in APPENDIX A, and a full list of Emerge X startups and jury members at the Philippine Startup Week 2020 can be found in APPENDIX B.

 

Highway to a 100 Unicorns at the Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology 2020

Microsoft’s Highway to a 100 Unicorns Regional APAC Event will be held at Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology (SWITCH) 2020 on 9 December, from 2pm-4pm. At that session, industry leaders from Microsoft and their partners will discuss the opportunities ahead and how to manage the challenges startups could face in APAC. The top four Emerge X startups will share their founding stories and how they have leveraged technology to solve some of the key challenges faced by business owners across different industry sectors.

Said Peter Ong, Chairman of Enterprise Singapore, who is organizing SWITCH, “We are happy that Microsoft has chosen to launch its inaugural Highway to a 100 Unicorns Regional APAC Event in Singapore. Culminating at SWITCH after its mentorship program and pitching competition, we see great synergies in bringing together the region’s most innovative and ambitious startups to network with our diverse line-up of speakers and participants. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Microsoft to provide a vibrant and conducive ecosystem for the development of innovative startups.”

 

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

APPENDIX A

Abivin: Optimizing Supply Chains

Established in 2015, Abivin’s AI-powered solution helps manufacturers, distributors, retailers, transporters, logistics service providers and container freight operators tackle the challenges of logistics execution and solve the vehicle routing problem, resulting in up to 30% savings.

“When we applied to be a part of the Highway to a 100 Unicorns, our objective was to connect and learn from Microsoft, industry experts and other startups across the Asia Pacific. It has been a valuable experience and we are both surprised and proud to be selected as one of the top four startups in the region,” said Cassie Nguyen, COO and Co-founder, Abivin.

 

Lifetrack Medical Systems: Providing Affordable Access to Medical Imaging

Lifetrack Medical Systems was started in 2011 to rethink how radiology software could be distributed and made accessible, especially in the challenging conditions of emerging markets. Via its LifeSys™ platform, over 1.7 million patients in 12 different countries have been diagnosed.

“Microsoft’s Emerge X competition has given Lifetrack a platform to share the work we have been doing to improve affordable access to medical imaging with our partners and stakeholders around the world. We are excited to join the Highway to a 100 Unicorns and looking forward to partnering with Microsoft to drive innovation forward in the region for the benefit of all,” said Dr. Eric Schulze, CEO and Founder, Lifetrack Medical Systems.

 

Agrithmics: Digitizing the Farm to Factory Supply Chain

Agrithmics was founded in 2016 to enrich the agri-industry in Sri Lanka and connect small hold farmers to agri-buyers, eliminating pilferage by middlemen and providing more access to cash and credit. More than 40,000 registered farmers are now using AgriX – an IOT-enabled and cloud-based procurement solution – and Agri-Pay Transaction Switch to conduct their transactions, with more than100 million kg of raw tea leaves transacted via its platforms in the last three years.

“The journey with Emerge X has been fantastic for us. It was a great opportunity to meet several regional startups and learn about their innovative ideas. Agrithmics is excited to be part of the Highway to a 100 Unicorns and I am confident we will be able to reach greater heights with Microsoft,” said Prashanth Premakumar, CEO and Founder, Agrithmics.

 

Milky Way AI: Helping Retailers Maximize Sales

Founded in 2019, Milky Way AI’s Instashelf platform utilizes image recognition technology to help retailers and brands better manage shelf inventory by automating the stocktaking process. It is used by major retailers and brands in four countries and has helped merchandising teams increase their in-store productivity.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Microsoft in digitizing physical retail with Computer Vision and AI, delivering innovative omni-channel customer experiences and augmenting the largest workforce globally,” said Eunice Wong, CEO and Co-founder, Milky Way AI.

 

APPENDIX B

Emerge X Program Startups

Startups in italics participated in the Emerge X Regional Pitching Competition at PH Startup Week 2020

  • Bangladesh: Alice Labs, Loop, PriyoShop, Sigmind.ai
  • Bhutan: DrukRide, One Click Shop
  • Cambodia: Peth Yoeung
  • Indonesia: Crowde, GREDU, Kiddo.id, Konvergen AI, Neurosensum, Ritase, Tjetak
  • Malaysia: Alpha Red Services, Betacard, Leaderonomics Digital, Naluri Hidup, OrangeFIN Asia, SalesCandy, Setel, Softinn Solutions, Soft Solvers Solutions, Supplycart.my, Talentcloud.ai
  • Maldives: FahiPay
  • Myanmar: Better HR, Expa.ai, Karzo Co., Village Link
  • Nepal: Digital Age Nepal, The Secured ID, Tootle
  • New Zealand: Book Me Bob, Projectworks, Showcase Workshop, Storbie, Vibe.fyi
  • Philippines: Aiah, ChatGenie, Edukasyon, Expedock, Frontlearners Inc., Investagrams, Lifetrack Medical Systems, Omnirio, Packetworx, Rumarocket, Tangere, Qwikwire
  • Singapore: Accredify, Bambu, JobKred, Lifetrack Medical Systems, Milky Way AI, Sentient.io, Tookitaki, Wiz.Ai
  • Sri Lanka: Agrithmics, DirectPay, Eimsky, Enhanzer, InsureMe, OMAK, Roar Global, SIXER VIDEO
  • Thailand: AltoTech, Bizcuit, ENRES, FilmDoo, Finema, Jabjai Corporation, PUUN Intelligent, Ricult, Robolingo, Vonder, ZTRUS
  • Vietnam: Abivin, Base.vn, House3D

 

Emerge X Regional Pitching Competition Jury

  • Prajeeth Balasubramaniam, Managing General Partner, BOV Capital
  • Kishan Nadarajah, Principal, BOV Capital
  • Juliana Jan, Chief Investment Officer, Cradle
  • Eunice Wong, Investment Associate, Monk’s Hill Ventures
  • Cassie McAdams, Investment & Community Manager, Movac
  • Abhi K, Partner, India Head, M12
  • Farhan Rahman, Strategic Development Specialist, SBK Tech Ventures
  • Pieter Kemps, Principal, Sequoia
  • Bala Girisaballa, Managing Director, APAC, Vista Consulting Group
  • Dipta Shah, Founding Partner, 54i Ventures
  • Maneesh Sharma, Country Manager, GitHub
  • Ravi Kanniganti, Director & Head, Target Accelerator India

 

This article was Published on Microsoft’s Singapore News Center


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