Is voice technology driving Bangladesh's transition from digital to smart?

In the throes of a digital renaissance, Bangladesh, steered by the government's Digital Bangladesh initiative, has achieved a remarkable technological evolution. The nation has seen an uptick in internet connectivity, digital financial services, e-education, and e-commerce, with an entrepreneur-driven surge.

Notably, the ICT sector has burgeoned, buoyed by infrastructural investments, encapsulating fiber-optic networks and digital projects. Mobile financial platforms have reshaped commerce, e-marketplaces have birthed new entrepreneurial avenues, software parks and innovation hubs have bolstered Bangladesh's global technological stature.

Yet, while these milestones are commendable, the dream of a truly Smart Bangladesh beckons further ingenuity, notably the embrace of voice technology to bridge technological prowess with widespread digital literacy.

From Digital Foundations to a Smart Horizon

Bangladesh's digital milestones are laudable, but the evolution to a "smart" nation is a continuum, not a destination. The blueprint of Digital Bangladesh is a seminal starting point, but the odyssey to a digitally integrated nation brings forth nuanced challenges that necessitate visionary solutions.

Transitioning from digital integration to a smart society requires a holistic embrace of cutting-edge technologies across healthcare, transport, energy, and governance. This is not merely about technology adoption, but a profound transformation of systems, ideologies, and processes.

Essential to this journey are infrastructural robustness, sectoral synergy, research investments, privacy safeguards, and continuous learning. A Smart Bangladesh is predicated on unerring digital connectivity, especially extending its reach to the remotest corners. Inter-sectoral synergy demands the dismantling of operational silos and nurturing collaborative ethos. While innovation remains central, ensuring digital security and fostering lifelong digital education are paramount.

Having laid a digital groundwork, the path to a Smart Bangladesh demands relentless dedication, a harmonious blend of sectors, and a readiness to usher in a new era. Recognising these challenges and intricacies is our inaugural step towards a digitally inclusive Bangladesh where technology uplifts every citizen.

The Feature Phone Conundrum: A Steppingstone to a Smart Bangladesh?

In the ever-evolving tech landscape, the tenacity of feature phones in Bangladesh offers a singular paradox. These rudimentary devices, in the face of towering digital progress, remain the linchpin for many, thanks to their cost-effectiveness and functional simplicity. The nation stands at an intriguing crossroads, with an almost even split between smart and feature phones.

Yet, the real challenge is the digital literacy chasm. For many, notably the elderly or those untouched by the digital zeitgeist, the multifaceted world of smartphones is labyrinthine. Astonishingly, less than a quarter of Bangladesh's populace is truly digitally adept, a fact underscored by the tepid embrace of digital financial platforms.

Addressing the endurance of feature phones and bridging this division requires bespoke strategies. Digital literacy isn't mere connectivity; it's the art of discerning online content, platform navigation, and meaningful digital engagements. Socioeconomic dynamics weigh heavily on this scale, with marginalised communities often at a disadvantage.

To harmonise this disparity, we need innovation that offers congruent utility and inclusivity for both smartphone and feature phone users. This is pivotal for our Smart Bangladesh vision. A concerted commitment to digital pedagogy, eliminating obstacles, and championing a culture of incessant learning will be the crucible for an inclusive digital renaissance.

Voice Technology: A Game-Changer in the Digital Literacy Quandary:

As Bangladesh charts its smart trajectory, it's pivotal to believe that digital transformation's efficacy hinges on its democratisation, without imposing steep learning arcs. Voice technology emerges as the beacon in this landscape. It promises to harmonise digital access with mass assimilation, revolutionizing citizen-tech engagement without the rigors of intricate learning.

Voice technology is a groundbreaking fusion of speech recognition and synthesis, fueled by artificial intelligence and Natural Language Processing. In our modern environment, where the integration of artificial intelligence is axiomatic to progress, voice technology offers a unique opportunity for Bangladesh.

It redefines human-computer interaction, making it more natural, intuitive, and accessible. By enabling devices to understand and respond to spoken language, voice technology ushers in a new era of connectivity and convenience, shaping the future of communication and technology adoption.

This technology transcends language barriers and literacy levels, empowering citizens who might struggle with traditional text-based interfaces.

It widens accessibility, opening doors for segments of the population that might have been marginalised due to disabilities, limited education, or geographical constraints. It fosters a sense of inclusion by making digital services accessible to all.

It allows farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs to access vital information and services without the need for extensive digital training. With the availability of feature phones, most citizens, critically those who are outside city-metros, already possess the hardware required for voice interactions, eliminating the need for costly investments in new devices.

The Global Voice Race: Can Bangladesh Emerge Victorious?

The crescendo of voice technology is being orchestrated by a myriad of tech behemoths and institutions, turning into a global race where nations are speeding to come out in pole position.

India plans to introduce voice-based and offline digital payments to bridge the digital divide between its rural and urban regions.

The Universal Payments Interface (UPI), a cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's digital infrastructure vision, has witnessed rapid adoption with approximately 350 million users and nearly 10 billion transactions in July.

However, its reach in underprivileged rural areas remains limited due to restricted internet access and lower literacy rates.

The Reserve Bank of India aims to remedy this by introducing "conversational" payments, enabling users to give verbal instructions for transactions via AI-powered speech recognition.

Initially available in English and Hindi, this service uses AI tools from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras and will eventually support more languages.

Additionally, users can execute transactions without internet using near-field communication technology. Despite its promise, challenges persist: internet usage is still limited, especially in rural areas, and concerns about user data protection and language diversity may pose obstacles.

In the United States, research institutions including Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and University of California, Berkeley, have contributed groundbreaking research in natural language processing and voice technology advancements.

Amazon's Alexa, a leading voice assistant, has become synonymous with voice technology due to its substantial investments in research, development, and market expansion.

Google Assistant, powered by Google's extensive AI capabilities, is a key player in voice technology, showcasing Google's commitment to natural language understanding and integration across various devices and services.

Apple's Siri, a pioneering voice assistant, continues to invest in enhancing its capabilities, while Microsoft's Cortana and IBM's Watson Assistant leverage advanced AI and natural language processing to build custom voice-enabled virtual assistants.

OpenAI, known for its advancements in artificial intelligence, has contributed to the development of voice technology's natural language understanding and generation capabilities.

In China, Baidu has invested heavily in voice technology and natural language processing, with its voice assistant DuerOS being a prominent example of its contributions. Baidu is looking to implement conversational AI across its search engine, in-car operating systems, commerce, and more.

Bangladesh isn't a mere spectator. Hishab, a Bangladeshi tech prodigy specialising in voice technology, stands tall in the global arena. Hishab is a Bangladeshi technology company that specialises in voice technology and conversational AI over telephony networks, taking internet access out of the equation.

No advanced hardware outside of feature phones are necessary for Hishab's technology to function. The technology is driven by Hishab's proprietary Large Language Model (LLM) that's based in Bangla, making the engine the first of its kind in our language.

The company holds over 54 patents in 27 countries across voice banking over telephony networks, automated call centers, and voice commerce, making Hishab a true leader in voice technology globally.

With nations vying for voice tech supremacy, Bangladesh is poised to be a trailblazer. The ingredients for success are in place: widespread feature phone access, tech tailored to the Bangla language, and a national vision for inclusive digital accessibility. The only determinant now is our audacity to act.

Voice technology is at the nexus of tech and humanity, heralding a transformative era for Bangladesh.

By championing this avant-garde medium, Bangladesh stands poised to navigate the digital epoch, surmounting challenges and steering towards a future of unparalleled connectivity, ingenuity, and affluence.

In this technology race, Bangladesh stands the chance to be more than a pioneer – the global leader in voice.

The author is the managing director of Paper Rhyme Advertising Ltd