Latest news with #voice
The Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Mrs Doubtfire star says AI could be used ‘with respect' for Robin Williams' voice
Matthew Lawrence, who co-starred with Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire, has expressed a wish to revive Williams's voice using artificial intelligence. Lawrence stated that any such project would require the full respect and explicit permission of Williams's family. He highlighted Williams's voice as iconic, noting its presence in animated films like Aladdin and Happy Feet, and its beloved natural baritone. The actor suggested that Williams's AI-resurrected voice could potentially be used as the voice of AI itself in a new project. This concept follows previous instances where cultural figures, including Andy Warhol and Val Kilmer, have been digitally resurrected using AI with their estates' consent.
Forbes
16-07-2025
- General
- Forbes
Secrets Communication Experts Know About Voice, Empathy, And Presence
Secrets Communication Experts Know About Voice, Empathy, And Presence I have spent years interviewing experts who have built their careers around studying communication, specifically how people connect, persuade, and earn trust. These are communicators who work in some of the highest-stakes environments. I spoke with a coach who helps professionals stay composed under pressure, a pioneer in decoding facial expressions, a strategist who teaches leaders how to command attention before they speak, a body language expert who shows executives how to align words with presence, a former FBI negotiator, a psychologist who created a method for precision empathy, and a vocal coach trusted by high-profile performers to lead with tone and timing. Their lessons go far beyond what any manual can teach. Why Do People Freeze in Communication When They Need To Sound Smart? Why Do People Freeze in Communication When They Need To Sound Smart? When I spoke with Matt Abrahams, a Stanford lecturer in organizational behavior, he explained why even experienced professionals go blank when the stakes are high. He's known for helping people stay grounded when speaking in real time. Matt shared his 'What? So what? Now what?' framework, which helps professionals organize their thinking under pressure. 'What?' is your message. 'So what?' explains why it matters. 'Now what?' points to the next step. Many people panic because they rush ahead without first setting the context. Matt encourages people to pause, breathe, and build their message like a jazz musician builds rhythm. For example, if you find yourself freezing during a presentation, take a deep breath, focus on what your core message is, then remind yourself why that message matters before moving to the next step you want your audience to take. This approach helps you stay present and clear even in stressful moments. How Communication Is Judged Before Saying A Word How Communication Is Judged Before Saying A Word Michael Grinder, a leader in nonverbal communication research, taught me that people evaluate us long before we speak. He described this as 'predictive behavior,' where others quickly assess credibility based on posture, eye movement, and energy. He emphasized how much meaning is carried in stillness. A pause at the doorway or a deliberate beat before speaking signals calm and focus. He also explained the difference between relying mostly on what you say and how you appear visually. Relying only on voice without awareness of physical cues weakens your message. Michael trains leaders to control space using purposeful silence and posture. Communicators who align body and message create presence from the moment they walk in. Holding a still posture before speaking not only signals confidence but also invites people to focus on you. How Communication Uses Body Language To Tell The Truth How Communication Uses Body Language To Tell The Truth Nick Morgan, a communication expert focused on executive presence, reminded me that people trust what they see more than what they hear. He explained that when gestures do not match words, people notice. If you say, 'I'm excited' while looking at the floor with crossed arms, it sends a mixed message. Nick helps leaders rehearse by moving through their message so their body and ideas align. The most compelling communicators show what they mean as clearly as they say it. Try recording yourself speaking and watch for gestures or expressions that contradict your words. Then, work on syncing those elements. How Communication Requires Control of Voice To Influence A Room How Communication Requires Control of Voice To Influence A Room Roger Love, a renowned vocal coach who has trained public figures like Tony Robbins, Jennifer Aniston, and Bradley Cooper, explained that voice carries more influence than words alone. When I interviewed him, he broke vocal impact into four key elements. He said pitch signals confidence, pace shapes urgency, volume creates presence, and silence adds weight. He said many people unintentionally undermine themselves by speaking too quickly, too flatly, or too loudly. His suggestion is to record 15 seconds of yourself and ask: Would I follow this voice? Would I trust this person? If not, adjust. Roger emphasized that vocal skill is a technique anyone can learn. For instance, slowing your pace just enough to let key points land and adding variation to your pitch makes your message more engaging and credible. What Communication Teaches Us About Micro-Expressions What Communication Teaches Us About Micro-Expressions Paul Ekman, a world authority on emotion and facial expressions, explained that brief, involuntary movements often reveal what someone feels before they speak. These micro-expressions offer valuable insight, but only if you know how to recognize them. Emotions like doubt or frustration may flash across the face in a split second. Spotting a micro-expression is just the start. How you respond can open the door to honest communication. You might say, 'It seems like you have some hesitation. Can you walk me through what's on your mind?' That approach opens the conversation and builds trust. Ekman's work trains people to pick up on cues that most miss and respond with emotional precision. How Communication Helps People Feel Felt, Not Just Heard How Communication Helps People Feel Felt, Not Just Heard The late Dr. Mark Goulston, a psychiatrist and advisor to business leaders, taught me that connection happens when people feel truly felt. It is more than listening. It means being fully present. I asked him how to create that experience. He said to imagine the other person silently asking, 'Please help me feel like I matter.' That mindset changes how you respond. You hold the silence and reflect their feelings before offering input. Mark called this 'surgical empathy,' a form of empathy that is intentional, focused, and precise. This approach can shift a tough conversation into a meaningful one, whether you're leading a team or supporting a friend. How Communication Uses Tactical Empathy To Change The Tone How Communication Uses Tactical Empathy To Change The Tone Chris Voss, a former FBI negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, explained that successful communication relies more on emotional safety than persuasion. He introduced me to the concept of 'tactical empathy,' which means acknowledging the other person's feelings and perspective without trying to win them over. He taught that tone shapes outcomes. He often recommends using what he calls the 'late-night FM DJ voice' to create calm and invite openness. He also said that asking, 'Is now a bad time?' gives people more autonomy than 'Do you have a moment?' That subtle shift helps reduce defensiveness and opens people up to dialogue. Chris suggests using calibrated questions like, 'How do you want to move forward?' or 'What challenges are standing in your way?' These questions lead to collaboration because people are more committed to solutions they helped create. Why Great Communication Is About Keeping Things Simple Why Great Communication Is About Keeping Things Simple Every expert I interviewed approached communication differently, but they all emphasized that your message starts long before you open your mouth. Whether learning to slow down and structure your thoughts or shaping your voice to carry the emotion behind your words, small details make a big difference. These are the things people remember. Your body and presence say more than your words ever could. Ask questions to lower defenses and recognize that empathy takes effort and precision. You can learn to read the room, own the moment, and give people something they can feel. Mastering these communication essentials gives you the power to influence authentically and create connections that last.
Globe and Mail
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
How SoundHound AI Is Quietly Building a Global AI Empire
Key Points SoundHound AI offers integrated and proprietary AI solutions for more than 25 languages. It has huge global opportunities in the automotive and restaurant sectors. It is diversifying into other industries with different monetisation strategies. SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) might not enjoy the same hype as Nvidia or Palantir in the stock market, but this mid-cap voice AI company is quietly expanding its footprint across the globe. In doing so, it may be building something far bigger than most investors currently realize. While SoundHound AI is best known for powering restaurant drive-thrus and car infotainment systems, there's far more to its growth story. From Asia to Latin America, it's tapping into one of the most significant, overlooked opportunities in AI: the shift to voice as the primary human-machine interface. A multilingual AI voice platform Among the most powerful yet underrated assets SoundHound AI has are its integrated and proprietary solutions for more than 25 languages. That's more than just a technical feat. In global markets, offering a voice AI interface that functions properly in native languages is a must-have. English-only won't cut it. As companies continue to integrate AI into new physical systems, from vehicles to smart appliances, the ability to manage local language and cultural nuances will become a significant competitive advantage. That's precisely why SoundHound has been winning new contracts and partnerships. In the first quarter of 2025, it partnered with Chinese tech giant Tencent to expand its footprint in the global auto market, building on its existing relationships in the industry with manufacturers such as Hyundai, Kia, Stellantis, and Samsung 's Harman division. SoundHound AI also renewed contracts with two Japanese multinational companies that offer services across numerous industries, and it signed a deal to provide a major Latin American resort developer with an AI agent concierge. These partnerships point to something bigger: Demand for AI-powered voice interfaces isn't limited to the U.S. It's a global trend, and SoundHound AI is emerging as a leader in the space. Enormous opportunities for expansion in core industries SoundHound AI's most significant and obvious opportunity lies in the global automotive industry, and it's not hard to see why. In 2024, new light vehicle sales reached 88 million units globally, and this number is expected to increase to 95 million by 2028. Automakers are racing to make vehicles more connected, voice-enabled, and intelligent -- and SoundHound AI is right at the center of that transition. According to the company, its voice AI is in just 3% to 5% of the vehicles sold by its existing customers. In other words, the company has already landed some big clients -- it now needs to grow its relationships with each of them and to sign new deals with other OEMs globally. There are several reasons why SoundHound AI is in the driver's seat when it comes to growing its automotive business. Unlike rival applications like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, SoundHound offers a fully embedded voice AI that runs directly on each vehicle's local hardware -- no cloud connection or external ecosystem is required. That matters a lot to automakers, as it allows them to maintain control over user data and retain their branding rather than handing over the user experience to Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet. This independent, customizable platform is a significant selling point in an era when brands want to control their in-car experience from end to end. Another obvious area for global growth is the restaurant industry. In the U.S., SoundHound is already working with prominent chains such as White Castle, Chipotle, Jersey Mike's, and others to deploy its voice AI to handle customer interactions across phone ordering, kiosks, and drive-thrus. But the bigger prize may be overseas. In the U.S., the company views its total addressable market in the space at around 800,000 restaurants, but globally, the number is far higher. Once it has fully proven the value of its product in the U.S., expansion into international franchises will be the logical next step. More industries, more monetization While automotive and restaurants are SoundHound's most established verticals today, the company's long-term opportunity goes far beyond these two industries. As voice interfaces become more capable, reliable, and natural, new use cases are emerging, opening the door to broader monetization. The company has already expanded into areas like: Customer service call centers, where AI agents (leveraging generative AI technologies) can automate routine phone interactions, bookings, and support. Smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, where embedded voice interfaces allow manufacturers to create branded, offline-capable experiences. Hospitality and retail, where AI voice assistants help with check-ins, concierge services, or hands-free assistance in stores. Each of these verticals offers a distinct monetization model -- from usage-based software-as-a-service contracts to per-device royalties to potential revenue sharing in commerce and transactions. As more industries adopt voice AI, SoundHound's diversified revenue streams could help it scale efficiently. What it means for investors SoundHound AI may still be at a fairly early stage of its growth, but it's quietly assembling the building blocks of a global voice AI empire. If voice is indeed going to be the next major digital interface -- and there are plenty of signs that it will be -- SoundHound AI is a company that investors will want to keep a close eye on. Should you invest $1,000 in SoundHound AI right now? Before you buy stock in SoundHound AI, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and SoundHound AI wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $699,558!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $976,677!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to180%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Lawrence Nga has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, and Tencent. The Motley Fool recommends Stellantis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
CNA
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Hearing your fiancé's voice for the first time, while in prison
Scroll up for the next video X Hearing your fiancé's voice for the first time, while in prison
CBC
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Meet the man using AI to clone his voice before he loses it to ALS
Dr. Alec Cooper is recording himself reciting common sayings, elaborate poems and his favourite books as part of the process to clone his voice before his condition deteriorates.
