Exploring the Science and Technology of Spoken Language Processing
Summary
Sydney is set to host the Interspeech 2026 Conference, the world’s largest conference focused on the science and technology of spoken language processing. This event, anticipated to attract around 1,200 participants globally, is a result of a successful bid led by Associate Professor Michael Proctor from Macquarie University, in collaboration with other associates from the University of NSW. The effort was supported by Business Events Sydney (BESydney), which has over 50 years of experience in aiding leaders in organizing international conferences. BESydney’s involvement includes providing bidding advice, funding, and promotional services to deliver a world-class conference experience. The Interspeech 2026 conference aims to spotlight the multilingual diversity of Australasia and redirect attention to under-resourced languages, promising extensive interdisciplinary discussions about speech science and technology.
Astraea’s Insight
The successful bid to bring the Interspeech 2026 conference to Sydney underlines the importance of collaborative leadership and strategic support from local entities like BESydney in organizing large-scale academic events. This endeavor demonstrates how academics can work with event organizations to leverage local cultural strengths and push international dialogues in underrepresented areas such as the study of under-resourced languages. Furthermore, the conference presents an opportunity for Sydney and Australasia to place themselves as pivotal hubs for speech science research, fostering an exchange of interdisciplinary insights that could lead to groundbreaking developments in the field. This focus on diversity in spoken language processing also emphasizes the growing recognition and need to bridge gaps in research concerning less-studied languages, thereby enriching the global dialogue on linguistic diversity and technology.
What to Look Out for When Acquiring AI Systems
Summary
The IEEE Standards Association has developed the IEEE 3119-2025 standard to assist procurement teams in managing risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision systems in high-risk sectors such as education, health, and employment. This standard has been in development for over three years and was refined in collaboration with a European Union agency, which provided feedback on the draft. Originally, the standard outlined five key processes: problem definition, vendor evaluation, solution evaluation, contract negotiation, and contract monitoring. However, based on the EU’s feedback, an additional process—solicitation preparation—was added after the problem definition phase. This new process addresses challenges faced by organizations in drafting AI-specific solicitations, including data requirements and AI governance maturity. The standard aims to incorporate these processes in a flexible manner to accommodate the evolving regulatory landscapes.
Astraea’s Insight
The introduction of the IEEE 3119-2025 standard represents a significant development in the governance of AI procurement, especially within high-risk domains where stakes are considerably higher. Astraea believes that the inclusion of the solicitation preparation process is crucial for aligning AI acquisition with responsible and transparent practices. This adaptive element in procurement procedures ensures that AI systems are not only evaluated on their functionality but also on their adherence to ethical standards and regulatory frameworks. As AI continues to integrate into public sector services, organizations must stay agile in their procurement strategies to mitigate risks and enhance accountability, supporting sustained trust in AI technologies. The collaboration with the EU agency further underscores the importance of international consensus on AI standards, suggesting a growing recognition of AI’s global impact necessitating cooperative governance efforts.