Today, most of us find ourselves surrounded by many machines that talk (Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, to name a few) and they increasingly sound a lot like us. With advances in artificial intelligence (AI), it’s getting harder to distinguish these synthetic voices from human ones. Put your ears to the test with this game, and see if you can tell a human voice from a machine. How does it feel when robots sound human? Why do we want robots to sound like us, anyway? 



Lowell Robinson, Senior Producer of Voice and AI

Today, most of us find ourselves surrounded by many machines that talk (Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, to name a few) and they increasingly sound a lot like us. With advances in artificial intelligence (AI), it’s getting harder to distinguish these synthetic voices from human ones. Put your ears to the test with this game, and see if you can tell a human voice from a machine. How does it feel when robots sound human? Why do we want robots to sound like us, anyway? 
 
Lowell Robinson, Senior Producer of Voice and AI

Come with KQED as we explore the world around us, ears first. What does our environment sound like, and what do these sounds teach us about ourselves and our world? We’re asking these questions in a series of six stories that will take us from the forest floor to outer space. On each floor of the library you’ll find a QR code to access an audio player on your smartphone. Once you’re there, it’s time for Sound On.

Come with KQED as we explore the world around us, ears first. What does our environment sound like, and what do these sounds teach us about ourselves and our world? We’re asking these questions in a series of six stories that will take us from the forest floor to outer space. On each floor of the library you’ll find a QR code to access an audio player on your smartphone. Once you’re there, it’s time for Sound On.

Human or Machine?

Sound On

KQED

Social links

Follow podcast