Ever talked to an AI assistant and felt like you were speaking a different language? You’re not alone. AI, while powerful, often stumbles when it comes to understanding brand names, product names, and even simple names like “Mary.” This can lead to frustrating misunderstandings and inaccurate transcripts.
This guide, based on insights from Janis Moore’s video, equips you with a simple yet powerful technique using Deepgram’s keyword boosting feature within the Vow platform. Get ready to transform your AI from confused to confident!
Why This Matters:
In an era where AI assistants are becoming increasingly prevalent, ensuring accurate communication is paramount. Whether you’re building a customer service chatbot or a voice-controlled smart home system, clear understanding is the foundation for a successful user experience.
1. The Keyword Conundrum: Why AI Gets Names Wrong 🤯
AI models are trained on massive amounts of data, but this data doesn’t always capture the nuances of specific names or terms.
Example: Think of a company named “Easlivin.” An AI might interpret this as “East Living,” “S1,” or any number of variations.
The Problem: This misinterpretation can derail conversations, leading to incorrect responses and frustrated users.
2. Enter Keyword Boosting: Your Secret Weapon 🗝️
Deepgram, a speech-to-text technology integrated into Vow, offers a solution: Keyword Boosting. This feature allows you to assign a “value” to specific keywords, telling Deepgram to pay extra attention to them during transcription.
How it Works:
- Assign a Value: Give important keywords a numerical value (e.g., 30 for “Easlivin”). The higher the value, the more weight Deepgram gives to recognizing it correctly.
- Behind the Scenes: Deepgram uses this value to prioritize matching even slight variations of the keyword in spoken audio.
3. Putting Keyword Boosting into Action with Vow 🛠️
While Vow doesn’t have a visual interface for keyword boosting, you can easily implement it using the Vow API.
Steps:
- Access Vow API Documentation: Go to https://docs.vow.ai/ and navigate to the “Customization” section, then “Custom Keywords”.
- Understand the Request: Familiarize yourself with the API request structure for updating your assistant’s transcriber settings.
- Obtain Your API Key: Generate a private API key within your Vow account settings.
- Find Your Assistant ID: Locate the unique ID of the assistant you want to update within Vow.
- Construct Your API Call: Using a tool like Postman, create an API call to update your assistant. In the request body, specify “Deepgram” as the transcriber and “Nova 2” (or the latest version) as the model.
- Define Your Keywords: Within the “keywords” section, add each important keyword along with its assigned value.
- For instance:
"keywords": [{"keyword": "Easlivin", "value": 30}, {"keyword": "Mary", "value": 20}]
- Send the Request: Execute your API call. A successful update will return a 200 OK status.
4. Testing and Fine-Tuning for Optimal Accuracy 📈
Once you’ve updated your assistant, it’s crucial to test it thoroughly. Make a few calls, using the boosted keywords naturally in your conversation. Then, review the transcripts within Vow.
- Analyze the Results: Did the AI correctly transcribe your keywords? If not, experiment with adjusting the boost values.
- Iterate and Improve: Keyword boosting is not a one-time setup. Continuously monitor your transcripts and fine-tune the values for optimal accuracy over time.
5. Beyond Brand Names: Expanding Your Keyword Arsenal 💡
Keyword boosting isn’t just for company names. Use it to improve the recognition of:
- Product Names: Ensure your AI understands terms like “Pro Plan” or “Smart Home Hub.”
- Technical Jargon: If your AI operates in a specialized industry, boost the recognition of key terms specific to that field.
- Names with Variations: For names with common nicknames or alternative spellings, boost all relevant variations to avoid confusion.
Key Takeaways:
- Accurate Transcription is Key: Don’t underestimate the impact of accurate transcription on your AI’s performance.
- Keyword Boosting is Powerful: This simple yet effective technique can significantly improve your AI’s understanding of crucial terms.
- Experiment and Iterate: Finding the optimal boost values requires experimentation and ongoing refinement.
Your Next Steps:
- Implement Keyword Boosting: Follow the steps outlined above to update your AI assistant in Vow.
- Think Beyond the Basics: Identify other keywords in your domain that could benefit from boosting.
- Share Your Success: Let us know how keyword boosting transforms your AI’s accuracy and user experience!
Remember, by empowering your AI to understand and respond accurately, you unlock its full potential and create a smoother, more satisfying user experience.
