In senior living communities, machine learning and artificial intelligence are increasingly being used to improve speech recognition and analysis, helping staff better understand residents with speech difficulties due to health issues. Canary Speech, a Utah-based speech analysis software company, announced it will use Microsoft’s AI technology to expand its machine learning speech models and make AI-backed speech analysis faster.
Canary Speech’s software detects speech irregularities by recording and analyzing data with vocal biomarker technology. Its software can flag potential health issues by detecting mood, stress and energy levels before negative symptoms are noticeable, according to the company. For older adults, non-standard speech often occurs as a result of stroke or Alzheimer’s disease.
Through the partnership, Canary will use Microsoft Azure to expand its machine learning-based speech model offerings, and Canary’s API platform will be integrated into Microsoft Teams. By using Microsoft’s AI, Canary is making its speech analysis technology faster, which can help senior living and other healthcare providers reduce healthcare costs, expand remote patient monitoring and pinpoint mental health issues.
“AI is helping to empower healthcare providers by automating tasks, transforming unstructured forms of data into structured formats, gleaning patient insights, and supporting clinicians in delivering personalized patient care,” said David Rhew, M.D., Global Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Healthcare, Microsoft, in a statement. Elsewhere in the marketplace, speech recognition technology company Voiceitt recently partnered with Cisco’s video conferencing platform Webex to help people with speech impairments be better understood during virtual meetings. Voiceitt uses machine learning algorithms to get an understanding of the patterns of a user’s speech, and its products are accessible to users with disabilities, degenerative disease or brain injuries, developmental disorders and aging-related speech changes.
For senior living providers, speech recognition technology can be a valuable tool for understanding and communicating with people with non-standard speech patterns as a result of Alzheimer’s or other disabling conditions.
