So, no, the keyboard isn’t going away in our lifetime. Conversational-style Star Trek computing is still decades away. Sure, 99.9 percent accuracy is darned good—but until it reaches 100, speech-recognition technology is still plan B.

This article was originally published with the title Talk to the Machine.

7 Comments

1. 1. gesimsek 07:12 PM 11/18/10

   I think the real problem is related with the concept of "emergence". Language is an area where meaning emerges out of separate words. As we lawyers well know the context and connotations define the meaning you create and a sentence is more than its constituent parts. Computers programmers need to solve this emergence problem in their own way.

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2. 2. gordienj 01:07 PM 12/5/10

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3. 3. gordienj 01:33 PM 12/5/10

   I think it is amazing people get as good of results as they do dictating English with all of its linquistic clumsiness. The amount of research hours on the subject is formidable; the function of language must be well known. Articles of this nature usually make me wish I could be part of an effort to create a language that would be more machinable, and easier to use than current languages that have developed organically. I have examined other ways to write that indicate the sound of the words in the characters (and getting rid of the dots and dashes that make one have to lift their pens while they are writing). Frequently used long sylable words would get fewer sylables - the speed of speech and writing could double. I'm sure this has already been done, but I don't access or knowledge of any project like this; I would like to though.
   
   Thanks to Mr. Pogue. I will try out some of his tips.
   Sincerely, Gordon Hoffman

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4. 4. coop125 09:56 AM 12/20/10

   I'm reminded of the fact that Victor Borge mastered the art of dictating punctuation for speech recognition years ago. http://youtu.be/uUm787cz460

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5. 5. Hermit 04:24 PM 12/20/10

   I'm looking for a light-weight screen/pad that I can hang from around my neck for a closed-captioned effect when talking to a deaf friend. I can't use sign-language because my hands are impaired with MS.
   
   Anyone done this?
   

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6. 6. bucketofsquid in reply to gordienj 09:59 AM 12/22/10

   Isn't that what LogLan is supposed to accomplish?

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7. 7. JDahiya in reply to bucketofsquid 07:49 AM 1/18/11

   No, that's Ithkuil, not Loglan.

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