Google's voice assistant gets better training from users with Down syndrome
Volunteers can 'donate' their own speech patterns to improve accuracy rates
Editor's Pick
Voice assistants are notorious for misinterpreting input from speakers with local accents (looking at all you exasperated Glaswegians). But because voice recognition algorithms are built from libraries of standard pronunciations and speech patterns, people who have difficulties with speech or enunciation also have trouble accessing these technologies. And because they may have physical disabilities as well, these are often the very people voice assistants could help the most.
That includes many people with Down syndrome. “My daughter has a smaller mouth and a longer tongue. Picture talking with a marshmallow in your mouth,” explains Ed Casagrande, chair of the board of directors at the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. Out of the box, Google’s voice assistant misunderstands about every third word from an average speaker with Down syndrome.
“Project Understood,” a new initiative from CDSS, aims to improve Google’s algorithms by building out the database of voices. Spots from FCB Canada follow Matt MacNeil, a Canadian with Down syndrome who works with CDSS, as he travels to Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, to work with Google engineers and product managers to refine the voice recognition tools.
Other people with Down syndrome can participate by “donating” their voices—recording test phrases and tongue twisters like “I owe you a yo-yo today” on the Project Understood website.
Previous efforts from FCB Canada for CDSS include the award-winning “Down Syndrome Answers” campaign, which let people with Down syndrome field questions online from worried parents, and “Anything But Sorry,” a PSA against using the “s-word.”
Credits
- Date
- Nov 07, 2019
- Chair :
- Ed Casagrande
- Interim Executive Director :
- Laura LaChance
- Marketing & Communications Manager :
- Kristen Halpen
- Board Member :
- Ben Tarr
- Technical Program Manager :
- Bob MacDonald
- Technical Program Manager :
- Pan-Pan Jiang
- Product Manager :
- Julie Cattiau
- Engineer :
- Jimmy Tobin
- Creative Agency :
- FCB
- Chief Creative Officer :
- Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
- Chief Creative Officer :
- Jeff Hilts
- President :
- Bryan Kane
- Associate Creative Director :
- Elma Karabegovic
- Associate Creative Director :
- Michael Morelli
- Associate Creative Director :
- Marty Hoefkes
- Copywriter :
- Shannon McCarroll
- Copywriter :
- Jason Soy
- VP Managing Director :
- Tracy Little
- Group Account Director :
- Blake Connolly
- Account Supervisor :
- Olivia Selbie
- Agency Producer :
- Sarah Michener
- Agency Producer :
- Kristine Lippett
- VP of Operations :
- Shandi Horovitch
- VP of Operations :
- Shandi Horovitch
- Project Manager :
- Cori Pettit
- Chief Strategy Officer :
- Shelley Brown
- Director of Strategy :
- Eryn LeMesurier
- Director of Strategy :
- Shelagh Hartford
- Strategy Coordinator :
- Audrey Zink
- Director Product and Technology Solutions :
- John Sime
- EVP Head of Global Innovation :
- Kris Hoet
- PR :
- Shannon Stephaniuk
- PR :
- Glossy
- Production Company :
- Radar
- Director :
- Scott Drucker
- Line Producer :
- Sarah Michener
- Director of Photography :
- Scott Drucker
- Director of Photography :
- Chet Tilokani
- Camera Operator :
- Scott Drucker
- Camera Operator :
- Chet Tilokani
- Audio :
- Nicolas Field
- Hair & Make-Up :
- Neil Silverman
- Photographer :
- Cassidy Clemmer
- Editing House :
- Outsider
- Editor :
- John Gallagher
- Editor :
- Michael Barker
- Editorial Assistant :
- Scott Edwards
- Executive Producer :
- Kristina Anzlinger
- Transfer Facility :
- Alter Ego
- Colorist :
- Eric Whipp
- Online Facility :
- Alter Ego
- VFX Artist :
- Eric Perrella
- Alter Ego Producer :
- Caitlin Schooley-Groneveldt
- Music House :
- Grayson Matthews
- Music Track Director :
- Mark Dominic
- Engineer :
- Vlad Nikolic
- Audio Producer :
- Kelly McCluskey
- Speech Pathologist :
- Amanda Cotton
- Website Design :
- Bliss Interactive
- Website Design :
- Kris Van Wallendael
- Website Design :
- Julie Post
- Website Design :
- Dao Tran
- Client :
- Canadian Down Syndrome Society
- Agency :
- FCB
Need a credit fix? Contact the Creativity Editors
Related work

Canadian Down Syndrome Society: Powerful photo series challenges the perception of older people with Down syndrome

Canadian Down Syndrome Society: A Canadian organization is seeking to put people with Down syndrome on the endangered species list
