A major call center company, Teleperformance, is now using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to “neutralize” Indian accents for Western clients. The move, reportedly aimed at improving communication, raises concerns about deep-seated biases against non-Western voices.
The French company has introduced AI software from the American firm Sanas to alter Indian call center agents’ voices in real time. The goal, they claim, is to foster “human empathy” by making conversations smoother. But in reality, it reflects a troubling trend: the erasure of Indian identity to cater to Western preferences.
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With 90,000 employees in India, Teleperformance works with major UK clients like Vodafone, eBay, and the National Health Service (NHS). The AI system modifies Indian accents to sound more American or British, making it easier for Western customers to understand. But why is it necessary to change how Indians speak? If companies truly value diversity, why not encourage customers to appreciate different accents rather than erase them?
This practice implies that Indian voices are not “good enough” for Western ears. It reinforces the idea that professional or “acceptable” English is only spoken in a specific way. One that excludes millions of fluent, capable English speakers from India and other countries.
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Sanas, the company behind the technology, claims it helps eliminate miscommunication. But an argument can be made that it’s just another example of Western bias, where Indian workers must conform to an imposed standard rather than being accepted as they are.
Instead of masking accents, companies should invest in training customers to be more open-minded. True inclusivity means respecting different voices, not erasing them.
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