Japanese AI Technology Transforms Angry Customer Calls to Reduce Stress on Call Center Operators

Japanese AI technology transforms angry customers voice call to reduce psychological stress on call center 

A Japanese company has developed technology to reduce psychological stress on call center operators by altering the voices of angry customers to sound calmer, reports The Asahi Shimbun. 

SoftBank employee Toshiyuki Nakatani initiated the "emotion canceling" study three years ago after being inspired by a TV program on customer harassment. The AI voice-processing technology modifies the tone of a caller's voice without changing the words, making aggressive voices sound softer. For example, a woman's high-pitched voice is lowered, while a man's deep voice is raised to a gentler pitch. However, a hint of anger remains audible to ensure operators can still gauge the customer's emotional state.

To train the AI, ten actors recorded over 100 phrases with various emotions, resulting in more than 10,000 pieces of voice data. The technology addresses major operator stressors such as abusive language and prolonged conversations. If the AI detects excessive abuse or duration, it can trigger a warning message to end the call.

The company aims to enhance the technology's accuracy and plans to commercialize it by fiscal 2025. Nakatani hopes the AI will act as a mental shield for operators, reducing their stress while handling complaints.