Teleperformance uses AI to 'Neutralise' Indian Accents to Help Reduce Miscommunication

In a move that is stirring both interest and controversy, global call centre giant Teleperformance is deploying artificial intelligence to subtly alter the accents of its Indian customer service agents during live calls. The aim, the company says, is to improve clarity, boost empathy, and reduce misunderstandings between callers—particularly those based in Western countries.

While the technology is being framed as a tool for better communication, critics argue it raises deeper questions about cultural erasure, corporate priorities, and the future role of humans in AI-driven workplaces.

AI Meets Accents: A Bid To Build Better Connections

Teleperformance, one of the world's largest customer service outsourcing companies, has begun using real-time AI software to 'neutralise' the accents of Indian call centre agents during interactions with customers abroad. According to the company, this technology is intended to enhance understanding and create more 'human empathy' between callers and representatives.

The company's UK clients include major names such as the NHS, Vodafone, eBay, and parts of the British government. Teleperformance employs over 90,000 workers in India alone, with tens of thousands more across other regions.

The Technology Powering The Voice Shift

The accent-altering system comes from Sanas, a Silicon Valley-based startup that says its goal is to 'build a more understanding world'. The tool works in real time, transforming spoken accents while preserving speech content and tone.

Sanas claims the technology improves productivity, shortens call durations, and leads to fewer escalations, as customers are less likely to request a supervisor. TechCrunch reports that companies such as Walmart and UPS are already using it.

'At Sanas, we believe that while technology is transforming the industry, it shouldn't replace human connection, but rather, enhance it,' said Sharath Keshava Narayana, Sanas' co-founder and president.

From India To The World: Teleperformance's Strategy

Teleperformance has begun rolling out the technology in its Indian operations and plans to expand globally. In statements to Bloomberg, CEO Thomas Mackenbrock described the move as an effort to foster 'closer and more intimate relationships' with customers.

'There is sometimes a difficulty people in India talking and vice versa with clients from the US,' Mackenbrock told investors. He emphasised that the technology processes audio in real time and does not store any user data.

A Controversial Conversation

The software has not been without backlash. A report by The Telegraph noted concerns that the tool makes users' voices 'sound whiter', a claim Sanas denies. The company maintains that many call centre agents value the technology because it can reduce verbal abuse and increase job opportunities in countries such as India and the Philippines.

Teleperformance has invested $13 million (£10 million) into Sanas and is also providing voice data from its call centres to help the startup refine its system further.

AI Versus Empathy: A Delicate Balance

As AI continues to reshape customer service, many call centres have turned to automation and chatbots. Yet Mackenbrock argues that technology will not replace the human element but rather complement it.

'In a world that is ubiquitous with AI, the element of the human will also be equally important,' he said. 'It's about building human connection and having this element of empathy and connectivity.'

While Teleperformance has not disclosed which clients are actively using the technology, the rollout signals a wider industry trend: blending automation with real-time voice modulation to redefine how—and by whom—global customer service is delivered.