Telkom’s AI system, Izwe.AI, is revolutionizing customer service in South Africa by introducing accent recognition capabilities. Developed by Telkom in collaboration with Enlabeler, Izwe.AI is an innovative platform that converts spoken words in English and local languages into written text. What sets it apart is its ability to understand and interpret the unique accents of South Africans, showcasing Telkom’s commitment to celebrating African languages. This breakthrough technology has the potential to greatly improve the customer experience by accurately transcribing conversations in call centers and bridging the language gap between English and African languages.
Dr Mmaki Jantjies, Telkom’s Innovation and Transformation Officer, emphasized the importance of translation in customer interactions. Many conversations in call centers start in English and then switch to local languages, making it crucial to effectively translate and enhance the customer experience. Telkom’s investment in Izwe.AI reflects its dedication to cultivating strong customer relationships by ensuring seamless communication across languages.
Enlabeler, a data labelling company, played a crucial role in the development of the Izwe.AI platform. With expertise in machine learning, data science, software engineering, operations, and African languages, Enlabeler’s mission is to make accurate transcriptions readily accessible to everyone. Founder and CEO Esther Hoogstad’s research on creating digitally enabled micro-jobs for underutilized youth in the South African tech sector inspired the birth of Enlabeler. Telkom recognizes the agility and innovation potential of smaller companies like Enlabeler and partners with them to accelerate progress and introduce new products and innovations.
Telkom’s collaboration with Enlabeler highlights its commitment to innovation and its recognition of the advantages offered by smaller, agile companies. While Telkom has not made a direct investment in Enlabeler, it acknowledges that large corporations may not innovate as swiftly as these smaller entities. By partnering with Enlabeler and other similar companies, Telkom aims to gain a foothold in key verticals and promote the development of its products and innovations.
Telkom’s AI platform, Izwe.AI, is transforming customer service in South Africa with its groundbreaking accent recognition capabilities. By seamlessly translating spoken words into written text, Izwe.AI ensures effective communication between customers and businesses while celebrating the diversity of African languages. This collaboration between Telkom and Enlabeler showcases the power of partnerships and the value of innovation in revolutionizing customer service.
