25 Jan
Google, Smart Speakers and Privacy
On January 13, Voicebot covered an announcement by Google about changes to their voice assistant approvals. The news prompted an interesting discussion among players from all sides of the voice industry on Linkedin. Many of the discussion participants wondered about Google’s motivations. SoapBox Labs’ COO Dr. Martyn Farrows feels that Google’s decision is motivated by […]
14 Jan
3 Voice Predictions for 2021
Voicebot’s Bret Kinsella invited CEO and Founder Dr. Patricia Scanlon to share her predictions for 2021 alongside 50 other global voice industry leaders. We’ve excerpted Patricia’s key predictions below. You’ll find the full Voicebot piece here. Prediction 1: The Rise and Rise of Kidtech: “2020 saw massive growth in kidtech: apps, web services, smart toys […]
07 Jan
Voicebot Year in Review Podcast
Before the holidays, I participated in a “Year in Review in Europe” podcast with Voicebot’s Bret Kinsella and European colleagues Dominik Meissner and Alexis Hue. We covered a broad range of industry topics during the hour long discussion. Below are some of my contributions to it: On Privacy: “Are we really comfortable, as parents of […]
23 Dec
Year in Review 2020
2020 is being called the year of the two pandemics – one new, Covid-19, and one that’s been with us for centuries – racial injustice. For SoapBox Labs, 2020 was also the year of convergence – when our high accuracy kid-specific voice technology fulfilled an urgent global need for new remote and classroom-based learning solutions, […]
17 Dec
The Future of English Language Learning for Kids
I recently caught up with Toby Mather, the CEO and Co-Founder of Lingumi, an English Language Learning platform for 2-6 year old kids. Lingumi have baked our voice technology into hundreds of their English pronunciation lessons and more recently into their “smart conversations” for advanced English learners. In our interview, Toby talks about how technology […]
08 Dec
Voicebot names Dr. Patricia Scanlon a “Visionary in Voice”
CEO and Founder Dr. Patricia Scanlon was today recognized as a “Visionary In Voice” by Voicebot.ai, the voice industry’s leading publication. Patricia (Trish) is 6th on Voicebot’s list of 17 global leaders, a list that includes the CEOs and founders of companies like Amazon, Google, SoundHound, Viv Labs and Cerence. See the full list of […]
23 Nov
Forbes: SoapBox Labs Gives Voice To The Obstacles, Opportunities Of Remote Learning
Thanks to Michael Horn for a really enjoyable interview published today in Forbes. A great conversation that covers a lot of ground including the difference between voice technology and voice assistants, the importance of accuracy of voice technology for kids, and how voice technology has become core to EdTech, a need that has been amplified […]
20 Nov
Our Stance on Privacy
SoapBox Labs is proud to be an AI company with a data driven business that also respects the fundamental digital privacy rights of children. That might seem like a contradiction – speech technology that respects data privacy – especially when the media is full of stories about how smart assistants are “always listening”. The real […]
16 Nov
SXSWedu – Your Vote Please!
Friends and colleagues, it’s time to vote up your favorite panels for SXSWedu 2021. The competition for panel slots is even tougher this year, so please consider supporting us by voting for one or both of these important panel discussions: Is Voice Tech the Solution for Continuous Learning? https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/111507 Can We Design Bias Out of […]
10 Nov
Trustworthy AI
This Thursday, Nov 12th, CEO Dr. Patricia Scanlon speaks at an AI conference hosted by the EU and Xperi Corporation on the topic of safe, private and trustworthy AI. Patricia will address the two key concerns with kids using voice interfaces: accuracy – including bias – and privacy. Patricia will also talk about how embedded, […]
We Are Voice Tech For Kids
