Accessible technology for interactive systems: a new approach to spoken language research

In this paper, we argue for a paradigm shift in spoken language technology, from transcription tasks to interactive systems. The current paradigm evaluates speech recognition technology in terms of word recognition accuracy on large vocabulary transcription tasks, such as telephone conversations or media broadcasts. Systems are evaluated in international competitions, with strict rules for participation and well-defined evaluation metrics. Participation in these competitions is limited to a few elite laboratories that have the resources to develop and field systems. We propose a new, more productive and more accessible paradigm for spoken language research, in which research advances are evaluated in the context of interactive systems that allow people to perform useful tasks, such as accessing information from the World Wide Web, while driving a car. These systems are made available for daily use by ordinary citizens through telephone networks or placement in easily accessible kiosks in public institutions. It has previously been argued that this new paradigm, which focuses on the goal of universal access to information for all people, better serves the needs of the research community, as well as the welfare of our citizens. We discuss the challenges and rewards of an interactive system approach to spoken language research, and discuss our initial attempts to stimulate a paradigm shift and engage a large community of researchers through free distribution of the CSLU toolkit