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The Benefits of Automatic Transcriptions
The benefits associated with (also manual) transcription of audio are now well-known and almost taken for granted: the exploration of details, a less stressful informational experience, as well as the ability to annotate secondary aspects while attending a given event. To give a practical example, a journalist could conduct an interview and overlook the content-related aspects to capture the interviewee's emotional state, make note of any connections to other material, or simply put the interlocutor more at ease.
Professionals such as journalists and researchers often record interviews to listen to and transcribe once they return home or to the office. Anyone who has ever "transcribed" a recording in full by hand knows that this process can often be tiring and slow. Even when using a computer, each segment takes at least twice the time to be converted into text, often leading people to give up entirely. However, recognizing the potential of recordings, computer scientists have decided to make themselves available to overcome the obstacles associated with them.
Automatic Transcriptions, a New Frontier
Recent developments have made it possible to delegate the task of transcribing audio to artificial intelligence. Thanks to powerful algorithms, it is now possible to have recordings converted by specific software, which provides a faithful written reproduction of what was heard. Needless to say, this innovative field initially faced numerous obstacles, mainly related to word recognition in confusing contexts and the enormous variety of pronunciations that a language can encompass.
Initially, transcription software was very imprecise and only included specific categories of people, typically identifiable with the white English-speaking majority.
Over time, with increasing attention to the biases that the first transcription software had, an almost complete and extremely precise tool has been developed. Furthermore, many programs now offer the possibility to change the language of recognition, allowing for reliable transcriptions from a spelling perspective.
The Benefits of Automatic Transcriptions
Before reviewing all the various categories that could benefit from automatic transcriptions, let's schematically compare the technological means with the traditional manual one:
From Professionals to Students: Who Can Benefit from Transcription
Countless categories of people can benefit from automatic audio transcription, a transversal means not only in terms of its modes of use but also in terms of achievable goals. Let's take a look at the specifics of each category of interested parties, perhaps providing some ideas for improving the overall experience - whether educational, didactic, or professional.
The World of Education: From Middle Schools to Universities
Students of all levels of education are among the most frequent users of automatic transcription functionalities, typically because they aim to have a reliable reference point when they want to organize and integrate their notes. Starting from elementary and middle schools, students can use recordings as a compensatory tool. Automatic transcription is a very useful tool for students at all levels of education. It can be used as a note-taking aid during lectures or as a quick and reliable way to supplement study materials. These specialized software programs provide support for all students, including those with specific learning disorders (DSA) or attention disorders (ADHD).
As students progress through their studies, the recording and transcription of lectures they attend become increasingly important processes in their educational experience. This is particularly true because the depth and accuracy of knowledge required tends to increase. University students also use this practical tool to overcome schedule conflicts and personalize their learning experience in an environment that often pays little attention to individual student needs.
However, it is important to note that there is a distinction to be made within this category. Transcriptions of lectures tend to be more useful for integration in humanities subjects and traditional lectures. Those in scientific fields know that converting audio into text, especially through automated means, can lead to confusing results, especially when it comes to numerical information. Additionally, the quality of audio recordings may decrease in non-traditional lecture formats such as workshops and seminars, making transcriptions significantly less useful.
In the professional world, freelancers such as journalists, lawyers, and content creators use automatic transcription for a variety of purposes. In addition to the usual benefits of annotating aspects other than textual or content-related ones, systematic use of software for audio-to-text conversion allows these professionals to create a convenient archive where they can easily search for specific information that would otherwise be difficult to locate.
While it may not be immediately intuitive, businesses also benefit from automatic transcription of audio files. In today's advertising and private communication landscapes, big data is key. Converting audio files into text is an excellent strategy for analyzing consumer preferences (or target audience preferences), enabling the development of better and more targeted campaigns.
In addition to mind maps, summaries, and voice synthesis, automatic audio transcription is one of the four pillars of the Algor Education platform. The platform offers an excellent alternative to traditional transcription, with an intuitive interface that allows users to upload desired files (including videos) and receive a complete text after a short processing time.
Overall, automatic transcription is a valuable tool for students and professionals alike, providing convenience, accessibility, and improved organization of information.Of course, the transcribed document can serve as a basis for further processing, such as creating a summary or a concept map. If you want to learn more, whether you are a student or a professional, you can consult the complete guide on how to use our automatic transcription services for video and audio files!
