Japan telecom leader SoftBank unveils AI filter to transform angry screams into calm speech

Imagine dealing with a barrage of angry customers daily, all while trying to maintain your composure. This is the reality for many call centre employees, whose mental health often takes a hit from constant exposure to customer frustration. Thankfully, artificial intelligence (AI) offers a new way to ease this burden.

SoftBank, a Japanese multinational, has pioneered an AI-powered solution that transforms angry outbursts into calm speech. This technology aims to protect call centre operators from the stress of dealing with irate callers.

To address the strain faced by call centre staff, many tech companies have implemented stress-relief programs. These typically include techniques such as meditation, yoga, relaxation exercises, and therapy to help mitigate anxiety and irritability. SoftBank, however, has taken a different approach by leveraging AI to address the issue at its core.

Reuters

Toshiyuki Nakatani, a developer at SoftBank, explained, ¡°We have developed an emotion suppression system that will protect the employees from the angry voices of customers that distress them.¡± After three years of development, the result is a sophisticated voice filter designed to detect and convert angry speech into a calmer tone.

The voice filter operates in two phases. First, the AI identifies an angry voice and isolates key speech elements. Next, it uses acoustic tools to transform the speech into a more polite and natural tone. While the words remain unchanged, the intonation is significantly softened.

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As a result, call centre operators will still hear the content of any insults or complaints, but in a much gentler tone. This adjustment is intended to reduce stress and anxiety levels among employees. To develop this AI, SoftBank¡¯s engineers compiled over 10,000 voice recordings. These recordings featured 10 actors who each recorded at least 100 common phrases, including screams, accusations, threats, and demands for apologies.

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In Japan, customer harassment, also known as kasu-hara, has emerged as a significant workplace issue, alongside power harassment and sexual harassment, as per a SCMP report. A 2024 survey by Japan's largest union, UA Zensen, involving around 30,000 employees from service and other sectors, revealed that 46.8 percent had faced customer anger or intimidation in the past two years.

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