Goals and Objectives

1
Whither Speech Technology? A Twenty-First Century
Perspective Steven Greenberg International
Computer Science Institute 1947 Center Street,
Berkeley, CA 94704 http//www.icsi.berkeley.edu/s
teveng steveng_at_icsi.berkeley.edu
2
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology
3
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology
Speech Technology Research is Currently in a
Parlous State
4
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology
Speech Technology Research is Currently in a
Parlous State A Train Wreck About to Happen
5
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology
Speech Technology Research is Currently in a
Parlous State A Train Wreck About to Happen
6
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically

7
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating

8
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites

9
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists

10
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?

11
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent

12
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre

13
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)

14
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing

15
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing
• The Commercial Sector is Likely to Experience
  Severe Disappointment

16
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing
• The Commercial Sector is Likely to Experience
  Severe Disappointment
• Resulting in significant consumer backlash and
  cutbacks in speech tech development

17
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing
• The Commercial Sector is Likely to Experience
  Severe Disappointment
• Resulting in significant consumer backlash and
  cutbacks in speech tech development
• Retrenchment in the corporate sector is already
  beginning to occur

18
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing
• The Commercial Sector is Likely to Experience
  Severe Disappointment
• Resulting in significant consumer backlash and
  cutbacks in speech tech development
• Retrenchment in the corporate sector is already
  beginning to occur
• Government Funding for Speech Technology Research
  is Slowing

19
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing
• The Commercial Sector is Likely to Experience
  Severe Disappointment
• Resulting in significant consumer backlash and
  cutbacks in speech tech development
• Retrenchment in the corporate sector is already
  beginning to occur
• Government Funding for Speech Technology Research
  is Slowing
• Government funding tends to conform to boom or
  bust cycles

20
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing
• The Commercial Sector is Likely to Experience
  Severe Disappointment
• Resulting in significant consumer backlash and
  cutbacks in speech tech development
• Retrenchment in the corporate sector is already
  beginning to occur
• Government Funding for Speech Technology Research
  is Slowing
• Government funding tends to conform to boom or
  bust cycles
• A few sites tend to obtain the lions share of
  the available funding

21
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing
• The Commercial Sector is Likely to Experience
  Severe Disappointment
• Resulting in significant consumer backlash and
  cutbacks in speech tech development
• Retrenchment in the corporate sector is already
  beginning to occur
• Government Funding for Speech Technology Research
  is Slowing
• Government funding tends to conform to boom or
  bust cycles
• A few sites tend to obtain the lions share of
  the available funding
• This is no way to sustain innovative research
  development

22
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing
• The Commercial Sector is Likely to Experience
  Severe Disappointment
• Resulting in significant consumer backlash and
  cutbacks in speech tech development
• Retrenchment in the corporate sector is already
  beginning to occur
• Government Funding for Speech Technology Research
  is Slowing
• Government funding tends to conform to boom or
  bust cycles
• A few sites tend to obtain the lions share of
  the available funding
• This is no way to sustain innovative research
  development
• The Situation is Likely to Worsen Over the Coming
  Years

23
The Coming Crisis in Speech Technology

• Demands on Speech Technology are Increasing
  Dramatically
• Its incorporation into operating systems, voice
  portals, call centers, etc. is accelerating
• This Increasing Demand is Placing Severe Pressure
  on Academic Sites
• There is relatively little funding to support the
  training of speech savvy engineers and
  scientists
• From whence will come the future innovators and
  leaders in speech technology?
• Yet the Ability to Truly Satisfy Such Demands is
  Not Readily Apparent
• The quality of current speech technology is
  mediocre (or worse)
• The pace of scientific and engineering innovation
  is slowing
• The Commercial Sector is Likely to Experience
  Severe Disappointment
• Resulting in significant consumer backlash and
  cutbacks in speech tech development
• Retrenchment in the corporate sector is already
  beginning to occur
• Government Funding for Speech Technology Research
  is Slowing
• Government funding tends to conform to boom or
  bust cycles
• A few sites tend to obtain the lions share of
  the available funding
• This is no way to sustain innovative research
  development
• The Situation is Likely to Worsen Over the Coming
  Years
• Is there light at the end of this Dark
  Valley?

24
From Alchemy to Speech Technology

• There are Parallels between Todays Speech Tech
  and the Biotech of Yore

25
From Alchemy to Speech Technology

• There are Parallels between Todays Speech Tech
  and the Biotech of Yore
• Biotech of the 1970s and 1980s promised much,
  but delivered relatively little

26
From Alchemy to Speech Technology

• There are Parallels between Todays Speech Tech
  and the Biotech of Yore
• Biotech of the 1970s and 1980s promised much,
  but delivered relatively little
• There was massive investment in Biotech
  (Genentech, etc.) over a 20-year interval

27
From Alchemy to Speech Technology

• There are Parallels between Todays Speech Tech
  and the Biotech of Yore
• Biotech of the 1970s and 1980s promised much,
  but delivered relatively little
• There was massive investment in Biotech
  (Genentech, etc.) over a 20-year interval
• Significant returns from Biotech investment are
  only now coming to fruition

28
From Alchemy to Speech Technology

• There are Parallels between Todays Speech Tech
  and the Biotech of Yore
• Biotech of the 1970s and 1980s promised much,
  but delivered relatively little
• There was massive investment in Biotech
  (Genentech, etc.) over a 20-year interval
• Significant returns from Biotech investment are
  only now coming to fruition
• Biotech and Pharmaceutical Companies Invest
  Billions in Academia

29
From Alchemy to Speech Technology

• There are Parallels between Todays Speech Tech
  and the Biotech of Yore
• Biotech of the 1970s and 1980s promised much,
  but delivered relatively little
• There was massive investment in Biotech
  (Genentech, etc.) over a 20-year interval
• Significant returns from Biotech investment are
  only now coming to fruition
• Biotech and Pharmaceutical Companies Invest
  Billions in Academia
• This amount stands in stark contrast to the
  paltry sums invested by speech tech

30
Beyond Freedom and Discipline

• There is an Alternative Scenario to the Dark
  Valley

31
Beyond Freedom and Discipline

• There is an Alternative Scenario to the Dark
  Valley
• A scenario that focuses on the potential for
  speech technology to transform our lives

32
Beyond Freedom and Discipline

• There is an Alternative Scenario to the Dark
  Valley
• A scenario that focuses on the potential for
  speech technology to transform our lives (for
  the better)

33
Beyond Freedom and Discipline

• There is an Alternative Scenario to the Dark
  Valley
• A scenario that focuses on the potential for
  speech technology to transform our lives (for
  the better)
• Building on technologys capability of fostering
  a boom in the communications industry

34
Beyond Freedom and Discipline

• There is an Alternative Scenario to the Dark
  Valley
• A scenario that focuses on the potential for
  speech technology to transform our lives (for
  the better)
• Building on technologys capability of fostering
  a boom in the communications industry
• And helping to alleviate behavioral deficits
  associated with communication disorders

35
Beyond Freedom and Discipline

• There is an Alternative Scenario to the Dark
  Valley
• A scenario that focuses on the potential for
  speech technology to transform our lives (for
  the better)
• Building on technologys capability of fostering
  a boom in the communications industry
• And helping to alleviate behavioral deficits
  associated with communication disorders (such as
  hearing impairment and speech production problems)

36
Towards a Golden Age of Speech Research

• In Order to Kick Start an Age of Innovative
  Research .

37
Towards a Golden Age of Speech Research

• In Order to Kick Start an Age of Innovative
  Research .
• The Speech Tech industry needs to collaborate far
  more closely with academic sites

38
Towards a Golden Age of Speech Research

• In Order to Kick Start an Age of Innovative
  Research .
• The Speech Tech industry needs to collaborate far
  more closely with academic sites
• Government funding agencies need to fund speech
  research far more generously

39
Towards a Golden Age of Speech Research

• In Order to Kick Start an Age of Innovative
  Research .
• The Speech Tech industry needs to collaborate far
  more closely with academic sites
• Government funding agencies need to fund speech
  research far more generously
• Industry, government and academic leaders need to
  define short, intermediate and long term goals
  with forethought and precision

40
Towards a Golden Age of Speech Research

• In Order to Kick Start an Age of Innovative
  Research .
• The Speech Tech industry needs to collaborate far
  more closely with academic sites
• Government funding agencies need to fund speech
  research far more generously
• Industry, government and academic leaders need to
  define short, intermediate and long terms goals
  with forethought and precision
• But foster creative means with which to
  accomplish these objectives

41
Towards a Golden Age of Speech Research

• In Order to Kick Start an Age of Innovative
  Research .
• The Speech Tech industry needs to collaborate far
  more closely with academic sites
• Government funding agencies need to fund speech
  research far more generously
• Industry, government and academic leaders need to
  define short, intermediate and long terms goals
  with forethought and precision
• But foster creative means with which to
  accomplish these objectives
• In order to effect a balance between scientific
  and technological perspectives in defining the
  speech research of tomorrow

42
Towards a Golden Age of Speech Research

• In Order to Kick Start an Age of Innovative
  Research .
• The Speech Tech industry needs to collaborate far
  more closely with academic sites
• Government funding agencies need to fund speech
  research far more generously
• Industry, government and academic leaders need to
  define short, intermediate and long terms goals
  with forethought and precision
• But foster creative means with which to
  accomplish these objectives
• In order to effect a balance between scientific
  and technological perspectives in defining the
  speech research of tomorrow (as well as the
  coming century)

43
For Further Information .
44
For Further Information .
See the Proceedings Paper
45
For Further Information .
See the Proceedings Paper Whither Speech
Technology?
46
For Further Information .
See the Proceedings Paper Whither Speech
Technology? A Twenty-First Century Perspective
47
Thats All, Folks Many Thanks for Your Time and
Attention