SoftBank Corp and First Horizon Bank have introduced artificial intelligence (AI) systems in their call centers to address the emotional stress of call center employees.
SoftBank has developed an AI-powered voice-altering technology, dubbed “SoftVoice”, that transforms angry customer voices into calmer tones. The system, referred to as “emotion canceling”, aims to alleviate the stress experienced by call center operators who often bear the brunt of customers’ frustrations. The AI detects hostile tones and automatically alters the customer’s inflection without changing their words. By 2025, SoftBank hopes to sell this technology more broadly.
On the other hand, First Horizon Bank uses AI to detect when a call center employee is on the verge of losing patience. The bank sends the employees a relaxing video montage of photos of their family set to music. These videos, referred to as “resets”, are produced by Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global and include inspirational quotes with guided “breathing bubbles” to instruct the employee on relaxing breathing techniques. The bank saw a 13% reduction in burnout levels during an initial test, and then a 20% reduction in a larger test.
While these AI systems provide emotional support to employees, they also mark a key step towards replacing the jobs of call center operators. A critical function of the job is recognizing when a customer is upset and offering an apology on behalf of the company. Both SoftBank and First Horizon’s AI systems deal with emotion recognition, which is a crucial aspect of this role.
Read more: gizmodo.com