Exploring the Science and Technology of Spoken Language Processing
Summary
Sydney is set to host the Interspeech 2026 Conference, the world’s largest event focused on speech science and spoken language processing. This achievement was driven by a successful bid led by Associate Professor Michael Proctor from Macquarie University, in collaboration with ASSTA and support from Business Events Sydney (BESydney). The event will attract around 1,200 international participants and features a multitude of sessions promoting interdisciplinary speech science approaches. The motivation for hosting Interspeech in Sydney is to spotlight Australasia’s multilingual landscape and to energize focus on under-resourced languages, emphasizing diversity in speech research. With a history of supporting such events for over 50 years, BESydney offers comprehensive support in bidding, funding, and organizing major international conferences aimed at influencing academic and industry change.
Astraea’s Insight
The decision to host Interspeech 2026 in Sydney underscores a growing recognition of the Asia-Pacific region’s linguistic diversity and its significance in global speech research. The focus on under-represented languages highlights a progressive shift towards inclusivity and diversity in speech technology. For researchers and industry professionals, Sydney’s hosting of this conference signifies invaluable opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and spotlighting regional language research. Additionally, it solidifies Sydney’s reputation as a pivotal hub for international scientific gatherings, supporting the city’s positioning as a leader in global speech science innovation.
What to Look Out for When Acquiring AI Systems
Summary
The IEEE Standards Association has developed a new standard, IEEE 3119-2025, aimed at guiding procurement teams in acquiring artificial intelligence and automated decision systems, especially within high-risk domains like education, health, and employment in the public sector. The standard was shaped over three years and incorporates feedback from a collaboration with a European Union agency. It initially consisted of five processes to help users manage risks: problem definition, vendor evaluation, solution evaluation, contract negotiation, and contract monitoring. Based on feedback, a sixth process, solicitation preparation, has been added to the standard to aid organizations in crafting AI-specific solicitations, requiring transparency and robust data requirements. This step is particularly important given the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for AI acquisitions.
Astraea’s Insight
The addition of the solicitation preparation process signifies a noteworthy shift towards ensuring more comprehensive and adaptive procurement strategies for AI systems. This inclusion highlights the importance of flexibility in AI procurement, especially as new regulatory requirements emerge. It also underlines the necessity for procurement teams to incorporate both technical and ethical considerations into their assessments, ensuring not only the functionality of AI systems but their compliance and integrity over time. As regulatory landscapes continually change, procurement teams must remain agile, ready to modify their approaches and requirements in response to updated guidelines and technological advancements. Ultimately, this new standard promotes a more informed and responsible approach to AI procurement, pushing organizations toward better governance of AI technologies.