Kinyarwanda
Oshiwambo
Tagalog
Punjabi
Proto has announced a new collaboration with Voices to create voice AI models for low-resourced languages such as Tagalog and Kinyarwanda.
This collaboration was set to see Proto integrating advanced automated speech recognition (ASR) technology into its AI customer experience platform. The project was to focus on localising and enhancing voice interactions in emerging markets for various sectors, including government, finance, healthcare, and transport, where underserved languages are often overlooked.
Proto CEO, Curtis Matlock, said, “By partnering with Voices, we can bridge the spoken language gap in AI-driven customer service for multilingual markets. Our goal is to ensure that no citizen is left behind, especially for our vital use cases such as consumer protection. Voices and Proto are aligned in our vision of more accessible support through multi-language capabilities.”
Voices to provide 500 hours of speech data
A critical element of this project is the contribution of 500 hours of high-quality spoken recordings in underserved languages from Voices. These recordings were to be used to train Proto’s ASR model and text-to-speech (TTS) systems, ensuring natural-sounding voice interactions that mimic human speech patterns. Languages such as Hiligaynon and Nyanja were to be prioritised, marking the first time these languages receive dedicated AI training data at this scale.
VP of Customer Operations at Voices, Colin McIlveen, said, “Voices believes in the positive impact that voice technology can have, and developments in voice AI are only accelerating us towards that end goal. We’re incredibly proud to partner with Proto to provide the dialects needed to close the language gap in these markets and have a hand in creating a more inclusive future.”
AI for consumer protection and beyond
As of December 2024, the voice AI capability was to be deployed for a variety of customer support functions, from complaint processing to remittance payment troubleshooting. One of the most impactful applications was expected to be in government services, particularly for consumer protection in low-to-middle income countries. In the Philippines, Proto planned to expand from supporting five government agencies to fifty, helping citizens engage with government services in their preferred language. By May 2025, Proto reported partnerships spanning thirty government agencies in the Philippines, and launched voice AI for Tagalog.
Proto CTO, Weiying Kok, added, “The data availability challenge for low-resourced languages has been a significant barrier. This project gives us the opportunity to overcome it and achieve high accuracy in AI-driven customer experiences across multiple sectors.”
Proto’s work in the Philippines and other markets across Sub-Saharan Africa underscores its commitment to providing inclusive AI solutions. Beyond government services, the voice AI model was to be integrated into enterprise-level solutions for applications like digital banking, remittances, and wayfinding.
About Voices
Voices is the #1 comprehensive voice solutions platform with the world’s largest voice over talent base. Alongside traditional voice over services, Voices offers text-to-speech, large model datasets, and AI voice licensing and cloning. Elevate your brand effortlessly with the fastest and easiest hiring process for voice, paired with unmatched quality voice over talent–human or AI. Voices has worked with major clients including Shopify, Microsoft, The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, Hulu, Cisco, the biggest ad agencies, and thousands more small businesses.