Does Speech-to-Text Software Get Worse Over Time?
You may sometimes experience poor accuracy of speech-to-text software over time. There are many possible reasons for this gradual reduction of accuracy.
In this article, we explain the reasons and how to prevent them.
Demanding Software Updates
Newer updates for speech-to-text software can be demanding. So those updates may run poorly on older devices, reducing the accuracy of speech recognition.
If this is the case, you can downgrade the speech recognition software to an earlier version to get the original accuracy.
Outdated Hardware
Older computers have slower CPUs and GPUs. Therefore, demanding offline speech-to-text software might struggle in such older devices.
If this is the case, you have to upgrade to a faster computer with a powerful CPU and GPU, as recommended by your speech-to-text software.
Also, make sure to install sufficient RAM so that your speech-to-text software won’t struggle.
Software Bugs
Operating system/software updates can introduce bugs to your speech recognition apps. Those bugs will reduce the accuracy and increase the latency of speech recognition.
If this is the case, you have to visit the software manufacturer’s sites to understand the known issues of your speech recognition app and install the latest bug fixes.
Incompatible Updates
Software updates you install on your computer should be compatible with your hardware. So make sure to install compatible updates for the installed software, especially for speech recognition apps.
Degrading Microphones
The microphone you use for speech recognition can also degrade over time. Such degraded microphones won’t capture your voice accurately, causing poor accuracy in speech recognition software.
If you have such an old microphone, replace it with a newer mic and see whether you get better accuracy for speech recognition.
Blocked Microphones
Dust and dirt can clog your microphone’s inputs, distorting your voice and lowering the volume. This will in turn result in poor accuracy in your speech recognition apps.
If this is the case, you can unclog the blocked microphone using a soft cloth or brush. However, be careful not to damage the microphone during the cleaning.
Computer/Smartphone May Slow Down Over Time
Your computer/smartphone can slow down over time due to various reasons, causing the speech recognition software to perform poorly with poor accuracy.
Too many background applications running on your computer/smartphone can be one of the reasons for this gradual slowdown. If you have too many background apps, remove the unwanted apps to free up the hardware resources.
Viruses and malware on your device can also slow down speech recognition software. So use a virus guard to remove any viruses and malware from your computer/smartphone.
Insufficient storage can also slow down your computer/smartphone. If this is the case, you should remove the unwanted apps and files to free up sufficient disk space.
Slow Internet Speeds
Online speech-to-text applications like Google speech recognition may perform poorly with slow internet.
Such online applications send your voice to remote servers, which requires sufficient upload bandwidth on your internet connection.
As a result, slow internet can cause high latency for online speech-to-text. It might also cause the speech recognition service to skip portions of speech.
If you suspect your internet connection is too slow, try with a faster internet connection and see whether you get better results for speech recognition.
Different Environments
Your room acoustics can also change over time. Different rooms can also have different echo and noise conditions.
Therefore, your speech recognition applications may perform poorly in different places and conditions depending on the echo and noise levels.
If you want the best accuracy and lowest latency for speech-to-text conversion, try to reduce the noise as much as possible. You can also activate noise cancellation or speech enhancement in your speech recognition software.
If you are in an empty room, it can cause a higher echo. In that case, you can lower the echo level by adding furniture, clothes, and other objects to your room.