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Inclusive Speech Kenya

Accra, Ghana: Using the newly built Akan and Ga ASR models, CDLI and GDI Hub host an inclusive innovation hackathon open to university students across Ghana. From over 150 applicants, 16 teams from across the country progressed to the ideation sprint, mentored by CDLI and University of Ghana and five group finalists presented live to an audience of more than 400 in Accra, including representatives from government, academic institutions and innovators. All teams were provided mentoring to build and demonstrate prototype apps using AI and the language models we had provided. Each team included a person living with speech impairment. Each team utilized local knowledge, skills, experiences and ideas to build solutions for Ghanaians, by Ghanaians. The event, funded by CDLI Hub’s AT2030 programme, demonstrates how local talent can leverage CDLI’s open-source tools for real-world solutions, given the opportunity.

Google, University of Ghana and GDI Hub to Collaborate

Google, University of Ghana and GDI Hub will collaborate to Expand AI-Powered Speech Recognition for Non-Standard Speech in Ghanaian Languages

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Accessibility

Accessibility, A11y

The design of technologies, services, and environments so they can be used by people with diverse abilities, including people with disabilities.

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology

Tools or systems that help people with disabilities perform tasks more easily. Inclusive speech recognition can function as assistive technology for communication.

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Automatic Speech Recognition, ASR

Technology that converts spoken language into written text. ASR enables devices and software to "understand" human speech and is used in tools such as voice assistants, transcription services, and accessibility technologies.

Community-Centred Design

Community-Centred Design, Community Centred Design

An approach that actively involves people who will use the technology in its design, development, and testing, ensuring solutions reflect real needs and lived experiences.

Data Annotation

Data Annotation

The process of labelling speech recordings with accurate text or metadata. Annotation helps machines learn how spoken words relate to written language.

Digital Language Inclusion

Digital Language Inclusion

The practice of ensuring that digital technologies recognise, understand, and support all ways people speak, including diverse languages, accents, and speech patterns.

Ethical Data Collection

Ethical Data Collection

The practice of collecting data with informed consent, transparency, privacy protection, and respect for participants' rights and dignity.

Inclusive AI

Inclusive AI

Artificial Intelligence systems designed to work fairly and effectively for people of different abilities, languages, and backgrounds, without excluding or disadvantaging certain groups.

Machine Learning

Machine Learning

A branch of AI that allows computer systems to learn patterns from data and improve their performance over time without being explicitly programmed for every task.

Non-Standard Speech

Non-Standard Speech

Speech that differs from what most speech recognition systems are trained on. This may include speech affected by disability, neurological conditions, injury, accent variation, or local language patterns.

Open-Source

Open-Source, opensource, open source

Software, data, or models that are freely available for anyone to use, study, modify, and share. CDLI promotes open-source approaches to accelerate inclusive innovation.

Speech Dataset

Speech Dataset

A structured collection of recorded speech samples and corresponding text. These datasets are used to train and improve speech recognition models.

Speech Impairment

Speech Impairment

A condition that affects a person's ability to produce clear or typical speech. This can be temporary or lifelong and may result from disability, illness, injury, or neurological differences.

Speech Model

Speech Model

A trained AI system that processes and recognises spoken language. Speech models improve as they are exposed to more diverse and representative speech data.

Under-Resourced Languages

Under-Resourced Languages, Under Resourced Languages

Languages that lack sufficient digital data, tools, or technological support. Many African languages fall into this category, making them poorly supported by mainstream speech technologies.