Dictation and voice control: automatic speech recognition in the marketplace

Recent years have born witness to dramatic developments in the capabilities and applications of spoken language technology. From a few niche applications for a range of exotic, computationally intensive and expensive solutions, the field has developed to the point where keenly-priced spoken language engineering products are sweeping the awards at consumer electronics shows. Paramount of all the more complex technologies, "automatic speech recognition" has finally reached the high-street store, and a large proportion of the population has now been exposed to the possibility of controlling one's computer, or dictating a report, without the use of the keyboard. This paper illustrates the current capabilities in both a civil and a military context.