• Nuance unveils new Lightning Engine, a conversational AI system that combines voice biometrics and natural language understanding to authenticate people in seconds and offer them personalized automated responses
Nuance Communications, Inc (NASDAQ: NUAN), a leader in conversational AI innovations, has announced the launch of the Nuance Lightning Engine ™, a new Artificial Intelligence tool that uses fourth-generation deep neural networks (DNN) and combines voice biometrics and Natural Language Understanding (NLU), to deliver more personalized and human-like experiences on voice channels. With the new engine, a single human command directed to a smart speaker, a virtual assistant, or an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system is enough for the system to identify who is speaking and what they want in just half a second.
Users increasingly use their voices to interact with the world around them, from communicating with their cars for directions, to accessing their bank accounts through their smart speakers. Nuance Lightning Engine allows them to set up a unique voice profile as part of registering an organization through an account. When they contact that organization on a voice channel, all they need to do is speak naturally and their identity will be confirmed almost immediately, kicking off a personalized interaction. This way, no passwords or security questions are necessary.
Until now the usual procedure to authenticate someone by voice biometrics, analyzing a small volume of audio, was through a voice password based on a specific phrase. Nuance Lightning Engine cuts the required audio time in half. This allows organizations to validate the identity of a given person faster than the human ear itself and listen to their natural expressions. Read analyst reports in Latin America on the voice biometrics page.
"Voice biometrics not only protects the voice channel, but when combined with natural language understanding, it becomes the foundation of a frictionless experience for consumers," says Brett Beranek, Director General of Security for the Nuance Business division. “With the Lightning Engine, organizations don't have to waste time verifying if a customer is who they say they are when they interact on voice channels. Instead, they can personalize the interaction immediately after that person speaks, making it an effective, enjoyable, and natural conversation. ”
Nuance Lightning Engine is available to various strategic clients through the Nuance Intelligent Engamement Platform. The technology is expected to be available globally next fall.
