Context :
Ø Behind
Hume’s conversational AI with emotional intelligence …
Eco Times… 01 April 2024
( Himanshi.lohchab@timesgroup.com
)
Extract :
Artificial
intelligence can now understand human emotions, pull-off sarcasm, and even
express anger. New York-based startup Hume AI (https://www.hume.ai / hello@hume.ai )
last week launched the
first voice AI with emotional intelligence which can generate conversations for emotional well-being of its users.
Founded in 2021 by Alan Cowen, a former researcher
by Google DeepMind, the startup also raised $50 million in Series-B funding
from EQT Group, Union Square Ventures, Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, Northwell
Holdings, Comcast Ventures, LG Technology Ventures, and Metaplanet days after
the launch.
What is Hume AI?
Hume’s voice interface is powered by its
empathic large language model (eLLM) which emphasises on tones of voice behind
words to understand different emotions.
It can further emulate
similar tones across 23 different emotions such as admiration, adoration, frustration etc, to generate human-like conversations.
The conversational AI chatbot is trained on data from millions of human
conversations across the world to voice tonality, human reflexes and feelings. These responses are
further optimised in real-time depending on user’s emotional state.
How is it useful?
While expressive AI chatbots in areas such as
virtual dating have been around, Hume’s product is gaining accolades for its
probable uses in robotics, healthcare, wellness etc.
Early predictions by some AI researchers show
that AI assistants powered by Hume’s eLLM could not only make conversations but
also help in daily tasks.
“Imagine an AI assistant that understands your frustrations or joys, a customer support agent that can empathize with your
complaints, or even a virtual
therapist capable of offering genuine emotional support,”
according to a post on X.
Cowen in a LinkedIn post said, "Speech is
four times faster than typing; frees up the eyes and hands; and carries more
information in its tune, rhythm, and timbre.”
“That's why we built the first AI with emotional intelligence
to understand the voice beyond words. Based on your voice, it can better
predict when to speak, what to say, and how to say it."
Hume AI is preparing to release the platform APIs to
developers next month in beta mode to integrate with various applications.
It can also integrate with other large language
models such as GPT and Claude to add flexibility depending on enterprise
use-case.
Besides empathetic feature, the voice assistant
also offers transcription and text-to-speech capabilities.
My Take :
Background :
Ø In the US, the NIMH reports
that 1 in 5 adults experiences mental
illness in a given year https://www.nami.org/mhstats.
Ø This initiative
reports a significant burden of mental disorders in India, affecting about 10% of the
population https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=2&sublinkid=1043&lid=359.
Sure, it has took almost 8 years since I envisaged its arrival but that
VIRTUAL THERAPIST has finally arrived !
Here is how I envisaged it
:
Ø Share - Your - Soul / Outsourcing Unlimited .. ………..24 July 2016
Extract :
Here is an outline of my suggestion , re how young / educated / unemployed
Indians can offer such service :
VEHICLE
This strictly " Online "
service will have a platform called , www...COUCH...com ( supported
by a Mobile App )
USERS
There will be two kinds of users who
will register on this site , viz:
* " Talkers " , who want to engage someone who will
listen to them / sympathize with them
* " Listeners " , who will listen patiently /
ask occasional question / offer advice - sympathy - empathy
# REGISTRATION FORM
For both type of users , the Registration Form will require to submit
following details :
* Personal
Details ( Name /
DOB / Gender / Nationality / Bank Account No / Photo / Short Video etc )
* Family
Details ( Who are
members of immediate family ? )
* Contact
Details ( Address
/ Mobile No / Email ID / Skype - FaceTime ID / WatsApp..etc )
* Social
Media Footprint (
Facebook / LinkedIn / Twitter : No of Friends - Contacts - Connections -
Followers )
* Cultural
Exposure (
Countries visited / lived-in , with stay-periods / Foreign friends )
* Educational Details ( Degrees / Colleges ) . Listeners having degree in Psychology will
get ranked higher !
* Language
Details (
Languages spoken / fluently - reasonably well )
* Experience
Details ( Where
worked / for how long ) . Retired / Worldly Wise , Listeners get ranked higher
!
* Availability
Details (
Available from - to / GMT- Local time )
Based on the completeness of the Registration Form Details , a software
will rate and rank the Listeners ,
which will be visible to the Talkers
There will be facility to update / edit the data submitted
Upon registration , users will be assigned USER ID and PASSWORD
In addition , Listener will
be assigned a unique COUCH / INTERVIEW-CABIN number
# SEARCHING DATABASE OF LISTENERS
Talkers will be able to search the database of the
registered Listeners ,
except for their " Contact Details "
Talkers can
, then select / shortlist , a few listeners of their preference
# SERVICE CHARGE
Talkers will pay $ 2 per hour to the portal , which will
credit this amount to the Bank Account of the
Concerned Listener , after
deducting 10 % as its own commission
# PAYMENT MECHANISM
Using online payment gateway , Talkers will
deposit a minimum of $ 20 , on the portal as PRE-PAID amount
As Talker continues
using the service , credit balance will get displayed ( in $ and in
" Hours " terms )
There will be facility for online ( or through Mobile )
re-charging of the account
# PROCESS
A Listener can
login anytime and occupy his own virtual COUCH / CABIN ( " I am now
available for
listening " )
As soon as he does , a GREEN light will
shine on the CABIN , showing the online availability of the concerned
Listener .
This green light will tell
the Talkers :
" Welcome !
I am ready to listen "
The light will turn RED , as soon as a Talker walks into Listener's CABIN ( " I am engaged right now " )
Any time a Talker logs in , he will find if any Listeners ( that he
had previously shortlisted ) are available
online
If he finds one , he simply CLICKS on the CABIN icon and
enters that VIRTUAL cabin !
Simultaneously , both the Talker and
the Listener , turn on
their Skype ( on Mobile or Tablet ) to start the
talk
Remember , Skype ID
of neither the Talker , nor the Listener , is ever visible to each other !
All conversation / transaction , can ONLY take place
through www...COUCH...com ( no bypassing !
)
The entire conversation will get recorded ( Video +
Audio ) and can be downloaded by the Talker ( but not
By the Listener ) ,
if he so desires
Portal will be obliged to make this recording available to a
Court of Law , in case of any litigation
Portal will carry a WARNING that it reserves the right to
remove any Talker or
a Listener , if it
finds that its
service is being misused / abused ( will need defining , in detail )
# REPUTATION SYSTEM
At the end of each " talk / conversation " ,
Talker will be
obliged to " Rate "
the concerned Listener
on a 5 point scale ( Excellent > Horrible ) .
Cumulative / Average "
Rating " will be prominently displayed for guidance of all Talkers .
Of course , a Listener can see
his own rating as soon as he
logs in
At some future date , it should be possible ( through
appropriate software ) , to introduce following variations
In pricing of the service ( ie
; Hourly Rates ) :
* Surge Pricing ( depending upon the DEMAND of any given Listener ) ie: No of
Talkers waiting for a given
Listener at a given point of time
* Reputation Pricing , based on points accumulated by a given Listener from all
past ratings
# USAGE HISTORY
For each user ( Listener or Talker ) , there will be a Usage History page of all
the past transactions / talks ;
As also Credit Balance ( for the Talker ) and the
Earnings ( for the Listener )
# PRIVACY
The portal will NOT reveal any info / data ( including Audio-Video recording ) of any
user to anyone else.
However , portal will reserve the rights to subject those
Audio recordings ( but not Video recordings ) to
an Artificial
Intelligence ( AI ) software , which can , over a course of time ,
come up with a SOFTWARE
ROBOT that can take over the role of the HUMAN listeners
! If you have any doubts , ask Ray Kurzweil !
When that happens , this portal may morph into a PPO ( Psychology Process Outsourcing ) !
The portal will also reserve the rights to use the Audio
recordings for offering Voice-to-Voice language
translation mobile app for the benefit of world-travellers
# PROMOTING
THE SERVICE
To an extent , the portal may affect the jobs of
local Psychologists / Psycho-Analysts who offer low level
consulting in any country. They will be in danger
of being " Bangalored " ! So , it is bound to face resistance
from those vested / threatened interests !
But foreign Hospitals / Educational Institutions /
NGOs / Medical Colleges , etc could be targeted for
promoting
# BUSINESS MODEL
Business Model will be in the nature of " Sharing Economy " ,
where those owning / possessing " Idle /
Spare / Under-utilized " assets /
resources , will offer the same to those in need / when in need , for a price
Eg:
Millions of private car-owners use their cars for ( may be )
two hours per day . Uber aggregates this spare
capacity and makes it available to travelers who do not
own ( or wish to own ) their own cars
Both parties benefit . Economy also benefits by fuller
utilization of the spare/surplus capacities of millions of
assets
All in all , I think this is a great opportunity
for some Indian Start Up to seize
Dear Alan Cowen :
Congratulations for your
innovation which is bound to REVOLUTIONIZE , conversational AI
I would love to integrate
it to enable my VIRTUAL AVATAR ( www.HemenParekh.ai
) to answer 51,400 questions with appropriate EMOTIONS ( - in all of 26
languages ? )
With regards,
Hemen Parekh
www.HemenParekh.ai / 01
April 2024
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