Comm operator's TeleAI surmounts dialect challenge

In a groundbreaking development, TeleAI, the artificial intelligence research division of China Telecom, has unveiled the industry's first advanced speech recognition model capable of understanding and processing over 30 Chinese dialects.

This large language model, known as Xingchen in Chinese, addresses a significant barrier in customer service, where millions of daily calls, especially from elderly users in remote regions, are made in local dialects that traditional AI systems and customer service representatives struggle to understand.

With approximately 20 percent of China's population not fluent in spoken Mandarin Chinese, this advancement aims to bridge the communication gap, ensuring equitable access to digital services for all, China Telecom said.