Teleperformance, a global call center operator, is implementing artificial intelligence
developed by Sanas to neutralize Indian call center agents’ accents in real-time. This “accent
translation” aims to improve customer interactions by reducing miscommunication, potentially
shortening call durations and enhancing customer satisfaction.However, this technology raises concerns about cultural identity and bias against regional accents,
as it homogenizes the speech of call agents, potentially erasing cultural nuances. Critics argue that it
upholds biases favoring Western accents and reflects long-standing prejudices that devalue non-
Western accents. Despite these concerns, some view this as a necessary measure to smooth
communication in a globalized business environment.