A growing use of artificial intelligence to alter the accents of call centre workers in real time is raising concerns among union leaders and academics, who warn the technology could mislead customers and affect Canadian jobs.
The issue is drawing scrutiny in Canada after labour representatives said at least one major domestic telecommunications company is using the technology.
“We’re aware of at least one of the three big telco companies using it to mask the accents of offshore agents, altering how customers perceive who they’re talking to,” said Roch Leblanc, telecommunications director for Unifor, in remarks to a parliamentary committee on April 30. The “big three” are Rogers, Bell and Telus.
Leblanc did not name the company, but Telus Digital previously posted on its website announcing a partnership with an “AI-powered speech enhancement” company to “soften accents.”
“Speech enhancement AI leverages cutting-edge speech-to-speech models to transform audio in real time. These models directly modify the acoustic features of speech, preserving the speaker’s voice while improving clarity and reducing accent-related friction,” it reads.
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Telus did not respond to request for comment. Rogers Communications and Bell Canada both denied using AI in this way when asked by Global News.
AI tools demonstrated online show how a speaker’s accent can be instantly modified, allowing non-native English speakers to sound more like anglophones.
The Philippines and India are major global hubs for call centres serving North American companies, which are increasingly outsourcing such customer service operations to reduce costs.
As a growing number of firms are turning to AI to make workers’ speech easier for customers to understand, the Canadian Telecommunications Workers Alliance is flagging the practice at the federal level.
“Canadians should know when AI is being used,” said Leblanc.
Renee Sieber, an associate professor at McGill University, said the technology may appear harmless but could have broader consequences.
“Here’s an application that a company may say is benign, but actually could be stealing Canadian jobs,” she said.
“It’s a kind of deception.”
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The practice appears to be expanding globally.
Teleperformance SE, the world’s largest call centre operator, is reportedly rolling out AI technology to eliminate the accents of Indian workers.
Supporters of the technology however say the tools can improve communication. “It is very hard sometimes when you’re on the line with someone and you can’t understand them and you want something done,” said Maura Grossman, a research professor at the University of Waterloo.
But critics argue the technology could increase outsourcing and reduce acceptance of different accents.
“You have to ask yourself, would we be doing this if it was for an accent from Australia or the U.K.?” Grossman questioned.
“Because if the answer is no, then that sounds rather discriminatory.”
The federal government has yet to release its long-awaited national AI strategy, but has said it will address issues of transparency.
It remains unclear whether that would include requiring companies to disclose whether a voice has been altered or generated by AI.
For the full story, watch the video above.
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So clear communication is a bad thing? Why?
i think it is great, very hard to understand them at times
Unions protect inflated wages for unskilled workers at the expense of everyone else.
It’s time society moved past the antiquated organized labour movement that is nothing but a hold-over from a time before government employment standards existed.
Riiiight… Get a call from “Brad” in Calgary with elephants trumpeting in the background.
I don’t even answer the phone unless it’s someone I know or a government office. It’s all just scammers now.
It will be nice when Alberta gains its independence and we can get low cost US cellphone companies with Texas accented Texans call centers instead of fake Texas AI accented Indian call centers.
The main thing to take away from this is that Telus does not want to hire Canadian workers, and will never get my business
I had one service call where it was difficult to understand the service person and I had to ask them to repeat their responses several times due to their very strong accent, and on top of that I could hear chickens in the background. Not very professional or confidence boosting.
Who cares? The companies who use this were never going to hire Canadians in the first place – all this does is *cost* them money, but it’s worth it because the customer service will get better reviews. People are stupid, and they hate certain accents even if they’re mild. I’m not joking.
So Canadian companies who benefit often from taxpayer $, are using AI to conceal that they have off shored these jobs, anyone feel a boycott coming on?
So Prof Grossman feels it is descriminatory to object to heavy accents in support personnel. Well, how about the discrimination against the elderly and hard of hearing who can not understand them. I guess the good professor believes that users with these problems are undeserving of support. Talk about academic blindness. Appalling.
Customer service reps got outsourced to foreign countries many years ago because there are not enough Canadians that want to do the job. I’m unsure about this whole AI thing but it’s likely here to stay so if it makes it easier to understand the person I’m trying to deal with then it seems useful. I am only referring to customer service, not scams. Scammers are going to use AI to their advantage. It’s up to us to be vigilant.
Looks like I’m just hanging up on everyone now.
No amount of technology can mask the hilariously pathetic Indian language, listening to them speak is like trying to talk to a toddler, same iq too.
If you fall for one of these scams you deserve it
So long as I can understand them and they are able to do what I need them to do, then I do not care where they are or if they are AI or not. Customer service is determined by how good the customer is serviced to their satisfaction. Do that well and people will not care where they are located.
This technology has help thiefs sound just like your banker and steal millions from people and banks Before all this we had one small safe gard if the caller has an accent we would hand up call the bank ourselves Now this but of safe net is gone too
If you’re dumb enough to fall for a scam caller, English speaker or not, then you deserve to be fleeced. Having a fake accent won’t change anything. AI might mask their accent, but it certainly won’t mask their broken English or terrible “sales” pitch.
Over half these commments from people who obviously didnt even read the article. Very sad and discouraging
Driving investment and jobs out of Canada is what the LPC does best!
I’d rather pay and complain than support foreigners.
Did anyone really believe that AI won’t take jobs away from people. AI is cheaper and doesn’t take vacation, lunch or sick days so of course companies are going to use it especially to hide the fact that they are paying using over seas call centres which are cheap labour and no unions.
With companies it’s all about the profits
Do they make one that works in real life? I work with hundreds of people and most of them don’t speak English at all, and the rare ones that do are completely unintelligible. I guess I shouldn’t care. At the rate we’re being genocided, this technology will be completely unnecessary in about 5 years because every “”Canadian”” will sound like that.
Yes I agree, to many scams coming from India. Shut those call Centers down and bring the jobs back to Canada
Overseas call centre’s should be illegal. Make it mandatory for Canadian companies to have Canadian call centers.
Your unions have been backing liberals for ever. They’re bringing them here by the millions so all your union jobs will be done be low skilled people who’ll work for next to nothing.
Gotta be Roger’s. Look at the buyouts they just offered. What a joke. All our telecommunications companies are an obvious ripoff we just have no alternatives in Canada. Oh Canada, the land of excessive theft from the public with government oversight. Another reason I’ll be voting yes for separation
Ceo salaries need to come down as a start…
Advantage #856 of Alberta independence is Alberta will allow US cellular companies to compete in Alberta, along with other businesses like airlines that will reduce the costs for Albertan’s.
Why do you get so many telemarketing phone calls? Why isn’t anything done about it? Well Telus, Bell and Rogers make big bucks from the millions of phone calls through their system per day. Why doesn’t the government do something about telemarketing phone calls? The big three telephone companies donate heavily to the Liberal Party.
Well here’s a thought…
Canadian companies hiring Canadians, instead of outsourcing. I’m sure Bell Canada could afford to hire Canadians with all their hidden fees.
Take the new $40 “handling fee” in lieu of the now defunct $80 ” connection fee”. I’m sure they could offset the cost of hiring minimum wage workers to work their call centres. Just add more fees you crooks.
Think its time we allowed more competition in Canada, the big 3 are gouging Canadians.