2345086

Nsf Convergence Accelerator Track H: An Inclusive, Human-Centered, and Convergent Framework for Transforming Voice AI Accessibility for People Who Stutter -in a society increasingly navigated through voice-activated artificial intelligence (Voice AI), people who stutter-representing over 3 million Americans and roughly 80 million individuals globally-face a major barrier: existing Voice AI technologies frequently fail to recognize disfluent speech patterns, leading to a cascade of disadvantages in accessibility, employment, and societal inclusion.

This project addresses this pressing concern by transforming Voice AI into an inclusive platform that comprehends and respects the diversity of human speech. By reimagining Voice AI through the lens of those who stutter, this project not only champions the cause of a historically marginalized group; it also enhances Voice technology for everyone, because all speakers are disfluent to some extent.

Aligning with NSF's mission, these advancements promote scientific progress, foster national welfare, and contribute to a more inclusive society by embracing and understanding diverse speech patterns. Operationalizing a human-centered and convergent paradigm, this project sets out to accomplish four key synergistic objectives: (1) cultivating a multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral network of stakeholders to steer impactful outcomes, (2) articulating a holistic vision for user-centric Voice AI, (3) designing a comprehensive set of adaptive Voice AI solutions and establishing a testbed for their evaluation, and (4) drafting guidelines for managing associated Voice AI risks. Harnessing cutting-edge AI technology, the project will pioneer inclusive training and test datasets as well as annotation for accessible automatic speech recognition (ASR) and develop advanced ASR deep learning models.

The adopted methodology encompasses iterative research, continuous engagement with end-users to pinpoint existing and future barriers, and stringent evaluations of solution efficacy. The overarching goal is to transform Voice AI, through an ecosystem that is accessible and responsive to all, thereby ensuring that every voice is heard. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- Subawards are planned for this award.

Michigan State University

THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "NSF CONVERGENCE ACCELERATOR PHASES 1 AND 2 FOR THE 2022 COHORT - TRACKS H, I, J", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF22583

47.084 - NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships

National Science Foundation (NSF)

East Lansing, Michigan 48824-2600 United States

Single Zip Code

NSF Convergence Accelerator Phases 1 and 2 for the 2022 Cohort - Tracks H, I, J (22-583)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 150% from $2,000,000 to $5,000,000.