Technology

Voiceitt validates next-generation Voice AI in an innovative pilot for Deaf Individuals

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2024

In a program facilitated by Newlab, Voiceitt demonstrates the flexibility and inclusivity of its next-generation speech recognition technology for individuals who are English-speaking Deaf and hard-of-hearing with non-standard speech.

TEL AVIV, Israel and STAMFORD, Conn., July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Voiceitt, the Israel-based leader in speech recognition technology for non-standard speech, announced today the successful completion of a joint pilot validating its inclusive voice AI with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Voiceitt’s technology was built with and for people with non-standard speech, and its unique speech database includes speech recordings from people with impaired and atypical speech to augment and improve Voiceitt’s voice AI models. This database of non-standard speech allows Voiceitt to provide a more inclusive and accurate experience. Voiceitt further improves its recognition of non-standard speech by providing personalized recognition for individuals who provide a minimum of 200 recordings.

The pilot was facilitated by Newlab, a deep tech venture platform that works closely with innovators as they build, pilot, and scale frontier technologies. The goal of the pilot was to demonstrate an improved accuracy with Voiceitt’s speech recognition with Deaf accented speech and provide qualitative insights to evaluate impactful use cases for voice AI among Deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

Jamie LePinnet, the Director at Newlab who facilitated the pilot, said, “The Voiceitt pilot is directly in line with the goals of the Studio to pilot with startups working on impact-driven advancements in language services. The success of the pilot sets the stage for strategic collaborations that can have a far-reaching impact on customers, and the community at large.”

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. While the adoption of voice enabled smart speakers and other devices has increased, people with non-standard speech due to being Deaf or hard of hearing are often not able to access and enjoy these devices, which pilot participants noted “rarely understands their speech”. Aside from the convenience of speech recognition over typing, some participants noted that interpreters working with Deaf individuals do not always accurately represent what the speaker aims to express. Another pilot participant explained that when individuals are discussing a sensitive topic, they may prefer not to have a third-party interpreter present, and inclusive speech recognition would help prevent “communication breakdown”, and help them be better understood.

“Speech recognition technology is incredibly valuable for the Deaf community,” said Tyler Pujeda, a heart researcher in Boston who participated in the pilot and is now an active user of Voiceitt’s application. “New inclusive products can help us feel listened to and understood.”

The pilot also analyzed quantitative results of Voiceitt’s proprietary speech recognition software, and compared Voiceitt with the industry’s leading providers of speech recognition, measuring accuracy using the word error rate (WER) metric. Deaf users in this pilot obtained an average of 8% WER (more than 90% accuracy) after training the system with 200 recordings. Voiceitt’s system also achieved higher accuracy than leading industry software for the Deaf speakers with non-standard speech who participated in the pilot, even with no training at all.

Dr. Rachel Levy, a speech pathologist and Voiceitt’s customer success manager, emphasized that while Voiceitt has historically focused on individuals with a diverse range of speech impairments, this pilot offered a unique opportunity. “This pilot validated Voiceitt’s compatibility and increased accuracy with Deaf voices,” Dr. Levy said. “However, its greatest impact resulted from the feedback and insights collected from pilot participants which has directly impacted the development of solutions geared towards the needs and preferences of the Deaf community and the other communities we serve and support.”

ABOUT VOICEITT
Voiceitt’s mission is to help people with disabilities live more connected, independent lives. Voiceitt’s proprietary automatic speech recognition (ASR) enables people with non-standard speech to access mainstream voice technologies, communicate by voice, and be understood. Voiceitt has been highlighted in international media, including Forbes, Amazon Science, BBC, and The New York Times. Investors include Cisco Investments, the Amazon Alexa Fund, AARP, and Microsoft’s M12. Voiceitt was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Israel with a subsidiary in Stamford, CT. Visit www.voiceitt.com to learn more.

ABOUT NEWLAB
Newlab is a venture platform built to decarbonize the economy. We take a place-based approach to de-risking technology, accelerating deep tech startups, and driving economic development. Newlab has 3 locations globally.

Today, Newlab includes more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, partnerships with forward-thinking corporate and civic entities, and a network of active investors—all working together to scale deep tech. To date, Newlab has supported its 300+ member companies in raising over $5.8B from venture capital firms, with over $2.3B of successful exits and a collective valuation of over $20B. Visit www.newlab.com to learn more.

Contacts

Media Contacts:

For Voiceitt:
Sara Smolley, Co-Founder and VP of Partnerships
sara@voiceitt.com

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SOURCE Voiceitt, Inc.

Technology

2026 Vietnam-China Cross-Border Tourism AI Empowerment Cooperation Exchange Program Concludes in Nanning

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2026

NANNING, China, April 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This is a report from china-asean-media.com.

The 14-day “2026 Vietnam-China Cross-Border Tourism AI Empowerment Cooperation and Exchange Program” successfully concluded on April 19 in Nanning, Guangxi. Co-hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China) and the Departments of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Tuyen Quang provinces (Vietnam), the event brought together nearly 30 tourism officials and industry representatives from the four Vietnamese localities.

With the theme “Vietnam-China AI + Cross-Border Tourism Exchange and Cooperation,” the program combined expert lectures, case studies on AI applications, and field visits. Participants gained insights into ASEAN-China tourism policies, AI-driven cross-border cooperation models, and smart tourism technologies. Hands-on training enabled them to use AI tools for decision-making, product development, and destination branding.

The delegation conducted field studies in Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, and Hechi. They visited the China-ASEAN AI Innovation and Cooperation Center, the “Easy Visit Guangxi” platform, the No. Wang Cultural Industrial Park, and the BAO JUN base, experiencing Guangxi’s smart, industrial, landscape, and wellness tourism offerings.

A meaningful part of the program was retracing President Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary footsteps in Guangxi, including visits to the former site of Yucai School in Nanning, the former residence of Ho Chi Minh in Liuzhou, and the “September 2” School site in Guilin. On April 17, all participants attended the launch ceremony of the 2026 Vietnam-China Border People’s Carnival in Nanning, witnessing the deep friendship and mutual support between the border communities of both nations.

At the closing ceremony on April 18, a cross-border tourism product design competition was held. The team from Quang Ninh won the Best Design Award, while teams from Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Tuyen Quang received Excellence Awards. Mr. Lưu Bá Mạc, Vice Director of Lang Son’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, praised the program for fostering practical cooperation and opening new directions for the “comrades and brothers” friendship between local authorities.

The program not only provided Vietnamese tourism professionals with valuable knowledge in AI and smart tourism but also laid a solid foundation for future cooperation in building shared tourism information platforms, developing smart products, and enhancing data connectivity. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry through AI, contributing to the strategic Vietnam-China community with a shared future.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/2026-vietnam-china-cross-border-tourism-ai-empowerment-cooperation-exchange-program-concludes-in-nanning-302746589.html

SOURCE china-asean-media.com

Technology

TCL Solar: Powering Pakistan with advanced solar module innovation

Published

6 hours ago

April 19, 2026

LAHORE, Pakistan, April 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TCL Solar made a strong impact at this year’s Solar Pakistan exhibition (17th-19th April, at Expo Centre Lahore) by unveiling a range of advanced solar solutions designed to meet the growing demand for low-carbon energy in South Asia and the Middle East.

The new T5 Pro solar module represents a major leap in N-type TOPCon technology, delivering breakthroughs in both conversion efficiency and power output. It is designed to be the new flagship product in the industry, offering enhanced performance and long-term value.

Key Highlights of the T5 Pro:

A unique product design: The T5 Pro specificity remains in its design architecture, with an overlapping tri-cut cell construction. This innovative structure significantly boosts the module’s performance, ensuring superior output and higher energy yield.

Product Reliability: The T5 Pro’s low-current technology ensures precise temperature control, with hotspot temperatures up to 45°C lower than conventional modules. This reduces the risk of fire hazards and improves overall module longevity. The module has also passed rigorous reliability tests, making it ideal for diverse applications, including commercial rooftops and ground-mounted power stations.

Customer Value: By enhancing energy generation and reducing project lifecycle costs, the T5 Pro provides a high return on investment for both residential and commercial solar applications.

TCL Solar’s Lightweight Module: Optimized for C&I Rooftops

TCL Solar’s Lightweight Module addresses the specific challenges faced by commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftops, particularly in areas with limited load-bearing capacity.

Improved Power Output: Weighing only 5.4 kg/m², these modules generate 3-6% more power compared to traditional TOPCon modules, offering a highly efficient solution for weight-sensitive environments.

Superior Heat Dissipation: The ultra-thin glass design enhances heat dissipation, lowers operating temperatures and reduces overall weight and making the modules ideal for aging rooftops or structures with limited structural integrity.

Building on the momentum at Solar Pakistan 2026, TCL SOLAR and TAIMOOR TRADING CO. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking a key step in advancing solar energy solutions. This partnership aims to expand clean power access and drive sustainable development across Pakistan and beyond, with a shared focus on innovation and a low-carbon future.

Focusing on innovation, efficiency, and reduced environmental impact, TCL Solar continues to lead the way in solar technology in Pakistan and across the region, providing solutions that meet today’s energy needs while enabling measurable emissions reductions across the energy value chain.

As Pakistan embraces renewable energy, TCL Solar’s cutting-edge technologies will help drive the growth of low-carbon energy in South Asia and the Middle East.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/tcl-solar-powering-pakistan-with-advanced-solar-module-innovation-302746579.html

SOURCE TCL Solar

Technology

TCL Solar: Powering Pakistan with advanced solar module innovation

Published

6 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Key Highlights of the T5 Pro:

Customer Value: By enhancing energy generation and reducing project lifecycle costs, the T5 Pro provides a high return on investment for both residential and commercial solar applications.

TCL Solar’s Lightweight Module: Optimized for C&I Rooftops

TCL Solar’s Lightweight Module addresses the specific challenges faced by commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftops, particularly in areas with limited load-bearing capacity.

Improved Power Output: Weighing only 5.4 kg/m², these modules generate 3-6% more power compared to traditional TOPCon modules, offering a highly efficient solution for weight-sensitive environments.

As Pakistan embraces renewable energy, TCL Solar’s cutting-edge technologies will help drive the growth of low-carbon energy in South Asia and the Middle East.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/tcl-solar-powering-pakistan-with-advanced-solar-module-innovation-302746579.html

SOURCE TCL Solar