AI-powered audio recognition and transcription is on the rise. Journalists, students, and business professionals have begun to look for a faster and more efficient method of transcription-from-audio-to-text. Where does ChatGPT come into play with all this? Does it stand a chance at the transcribing level, like a human?
Read on to find the answers to these pressing questions. Let’s briefly evaluate the positives and negatives of AI audio transcription.
How Does AI Transcription Work?
AI software uses special algorithms to learn about various speech patterns and spoken words on a speech data set large enough to train on. The algorithms inspect audio files, identify speech patterns, then convert the speech into written words. At their heart, transcription AI is based around automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems. It takes speech and breaks it into basic phonetic units before mapping it onto the words contained in its database.
Although ChatGPT is designed for text-based tasks and does not have built-in audio processing, OpenAI’s Whisper is a sophisticated ASR model for highly accurate audio transcription. Whisper supports multiple languages, various accents, and even background noise—a big advantage for real-world usage.
The Rise of AI in Transcription Services
AI-powered transcription tools such as Otter.ai, Rev, Sonix, and OpenAI’s Whisper have transformed the way we record spoken words. Some of these tools offer real-time transcription so that you hear what the person says in real-time and the output in text.
Identification of speakers: The AI is able to differentiate sound panels during a conversation.
Noise filtration: Reduced background noise results in clearer transcriptions.
Vocabulary: Some systems allow for some custom training of the AI with specific vocabulary.
Although effective, these tools can be imperfect. Sometimes mumbling, accents, and technical jargon can catch the AI off guard, with missed words needing the human translator to come in.
What about ChatGPT? Can it transcribe audio?
While ChatGPT is quite excellent at improving and formalizing the text, that audio-to-text raw transcription is obtained from third-party software. Although ChatGPT cannot directly transcribe the audio, it can help put what is transcribed in order a number of ways:
1. Summarization
After you get your audio transcript, you can use these prompts:
“Summarize this interview transcript in 200 words.”
“Give me the main takeaways from this transcript of a meeting.”
“Condense this podcast transcript into bullet points.”
2. Formatting & Structuring
For better readability, ChatGPT can structure transcripts as organized documents:
“Reformat this transcript to be an article with headings and subheadings.”
“Make this transcript a bit punchier in a blog style.”
“Skillfully turn it into a script-like dialogue.”
3. Grammar & Clarity Improvement
Raw transcriptions may often need clarity and polishing up. In this case, use ChatGPT for:
“Correct all grammar mistakes in this transcript.”
“Make this transcript pretty and professional.”
“Simplify this lengthy lecture transcript for better comprehension.”
4. Translation & Localization
For multilingual software, ChatGPT can assist by:
“Translate this Spanish transcript to English.”
“Localize this interview transcript for global audiences.”
“Rewrite this transcript in simpler English for non-native learners.”
Applications of AI Transcription Tools
AI transcription tools have applications in several areas:
1. Education
Transcription tools are used by both learners and educators for:
- Setting recorded lectures to text easy for review.
- Providing subtitles for online courses.
- Helping students with hearing impairments.
- Business & Corporate Meetings Corporate entities employ AI transcription for:
- Minute preparation in real-time.
- Giving accessibility to virtual conferences.
- Keeping records of calls with clients.
- Journalism & Content Creation Content writers and journalists are making use of transcription tools for:
- To transcribe press conferences and interviews.
- To caption and subtitle video footage.
- To turn podcasts into articles or blog posts.
- Healthcare & Legal Fields Professionals in these fields use transcription for:
- Medical dictation and patient records.
- Courtroom and deposition transcripts.
- Compliant records and documentation.
Pros and Cons of AI Transcription
Pros:
Speed: AI can transcribe voice information much faster than humans.
Cost-effective: Most solutions powered by AI cost little or nothing compared to hiring professional transcribers.
Scalable: AI can efficiently examine huge volumes of audio data.
Integration: Most transcription software can easily integrate with other applications such as Google Docs, Zoom, and CRM systems.
Multi-language Support: Advanced AI software allows users to transcribe in many languages.
Cons:
Accuracy: AI may misinterpret accents and confuse noise with that of a human and may even have trouble transcribing scientific vocabularies.
No Understanding of Context: Unlike humans, AI will not hear it quite right if an utterance contains homophones or limited speaking.
Privacy Concerns: Cloud-stored transcription data can pose security threats.
Limited Emotional Intelligence: AI cannot pick up tone, intent, or emotional undertones in speech.
Final Thoughts
AI transcription tools are revolutionizing how we work with spoken materials. Although ChatGPT cannot independently transcribe an audio recording, combining it with ASR solutions such as Whisper can provide users with tremendous productivity, content generation, and research workflows. We expect the AI tech to bring in better, smoother transcription services shortly.
In summary, while ChatGPT might not yet be a primary go-to for transcribing recordings, it certainly could change the game for editing and interpreting transcribed content. Getting AI transcription mainstream is only yet to be advanced. Stay tuned to this!
