SoftBank Corp, a leading Japanese technology company, has introduced a groundbreaking AI-driven system aimed at tackling the escalating issue of customer harassment in call centers. Known as “emotion canceling,” this technology aims to protect call center employees from the emotional strain of dealing with irate customers by transforming aggressive voices into calmer tones.
Introduction of Emotion-Canceling Technology
SoftBank’s “emotion canceling” technology utilizes advanced artificial intelligence to analyze and modify the tone of callers’ voices. This innovation, as described in SoftBank’s official announcement, incorporates AI-enabled emotion recognition and voice processing to alleviate the stress faced by call center operators dealing with verbal abuse. While preserving the original content of customer messages, the system adjusts the intonation to a more composed manner, enabling operators to handle customer concerns effectively.
“We are developing a solution to convert customers’ voices into calm tones using AI technology,” SoftBank stated. “Our aim is to foster positive customer interactions while prioritizing the well-being of our employees.”
Mechanism of the AI System
Operating through a sophisticated two-stage process, the AI initially identifies the emotional state of callers by analyzing speech patterns indicative of anger or frustration. Subsequently, it applies acoustic features associated with calm speech to modify the caller’s tone. This process was honed using a comprehensive dataset comprising over 10,000 voice samples from 10 actors, each expressing various emotions through more than 100 common phrases. Importantly, the system alters intonation without altering the caller’s actual words, allowing call center staff to grasp the underlying concerns despite the tone adjustment.
The inspiration behind this technology stemmed from the experiences of Toshiyuki Nakatani, a SoftBank employee moved to action after witnessing televised instances of call center staff enduring verbal abuse. His initiative underscores the critical need for tools to safeguard employees from such workplace challenges.
Expansion and Future Plans
Initially designed for Japanese-language applications, the “emotion canceling” system is undergoing exploration for adaptation to other languages to cater to global markets. SoftBank anticipates rolling out initial systems by April next year, with pricing details yet to be disclosed.
Addressing the Harassment Epidemic
SoftBank’s development of this technology coincides with Japan’s mounting concerns over customer harassment within the service industry. A recent survey by UA Zensen, Japan’s largest industrial union, highlighted that nearly 47% of service industry workers encountered customer harassment in the past two years, prompting over 100 respondents to seek psychiatric assistance due to its emotional toll.
Responding to this concerning trend, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is progressing legislation aimed at curbing “abusive and unreasonable demands” that detrimentally affect workplace environments. This legislative effort reflects a broader national movement to bolster protections for workers facing customer aggression. Roy Larke, an expert on Japanese consumer behavior, attributes the rise in customer harassment to factors including economic stress, social media dynamics, and cultural expectations, suggesting a reevaluation of consumer behavior norms could help mitigate these challenges.
AI and Customer Service: A Broader Perspective
SoftBank’s initiative forms part of a broader industry trend leveraging AI to enhance customer service capabilities. Since October 2023, SoftBank has utilized a 350 billion-parameter Large Language Model (LLM) developed by SB Intuitions Group, tailored to Japanese business norms. Participation in the ‘Global Telco AI Alliance’ in February further underscored SoftBank’s commitment to developing LLMs for AI-driven chatbots aimed at enhancing customer service.
Additionally, a strategic partnership with Microsoft Japan announced in March aims to integrate AI solutions into SoftBank’s call centers starting July 2024. This collaboration is expected to streamline customer interactions, minimize wait times, and standardize responses, enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
While AI systems for emotion recognition have faced scrutiny over their ability to interpret emotional cues solely from visual or auditory signals, SoftBank’s approach emphasizes practical outcomes. By adjusting caller tones without eliminating emotional content entirely, the technology helps manage call center staff stress levels, enabling appropriate responses to customer needs.
