Call center uses AI to change how Indian callers sound to western customers

AI call center

You call customer support, and the voice on the other end sounds clear and familiar—but something feels off. That’s because the agent might be speaking with an AI-altered accent. Teleperformance, the world’s largest call centre operator, has started using artificial intelligence (AI) to “neutralise” Indian accents for Western customers, according to a report in The Telegraph.

The French company, which has about 90,000 employees in India, is applying real-time AI software to modify the accents of English-speaking Indian customer service agents. The goal, they say, is to enhance clarity and improve customer experience. The technology comes from Palo Alto-based startup Sanas, which also developed background noise cancellation to filter out office chatter, sirens, and other disruptive sounds.

Teleperformance executive Markus Schmitt recently told investors that the AI tool is designed to bridge communication gaps between Indian agents and Western customers. “Sometimes, there is difficulty in people from India talking with clients from the US and vice versa,” he explained.

The company insists that the AI solution doesn’t store any data and was developed with the intention of reducing accent-based discrimination. However, the news has sparked a debate on social media. While some users welcomed the technology for making conversations smoother, others saw it as unnecessary or even problematic.

“I don’t mind Indian accents. I’m just glad to be talking to a real person who wants to help,” one user commented. Another questioned the need for it, saying, “I don’t know if it solves any problem. I just don’t want to be scammed.” Others felt the move erased cultural identity, with one stating, “I’d honestly like to talk to the real person with the real accent.”