Isentia unveils Te Reo Māori speech recognition in media monitoring service

Leading media intelligence company, Isentia, has unveiled a revolutionary feature for its TV and radio monitoring service; a new speech recognition feature that is capable of identifying and translating Te Reo Mori. Incredible leaps have been made in this endeavour with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and the local Maori staff.

From 4th October 2023, users of Isentia's monitoring platform- which includes government bodies, corporates, agencies and not-for-profit customers will have the capability to view a thorough representation of their news media landscape, all the way across to Te Reo programming, including but not limited to, Whakaata Mori, Te Karere, and Radio Waatea.

The need for this update resulted from a realisation among both Isentia staff and clients that the inclusion of Te Reo programming was a missing component in being truly inclusive across the media landscape. The update contributes to meeting the growing audience demand for Te Reo Mori media

Raquel Climent, Isentia NZ Country Manager, said, "New Zealand's Mori media landscape continues to evolve and grow audiences, just as more New Zealanders embrace te reo. This is a significant investment in our capability, and one that reflects our deep respect for this national taonga and the importance of amplifying te reo and connecting with audiences through shared language."

The New Zealand-first capability service offers clients the ability to conduct comprehensive monitoring of te reo programming with more inclusive keyword recognition, in either te reo Mori or English. Clients can watch and listen to broadcast material in te reo with real-time translation into English for better accessibility. Furthermore, the service offers real-time speech recognition translations of te reo content and interviews.

Climent adds, "This kaupapa is about ensuring that our customers can continue to effectively monitor desired keywords and phrases across a diverse and evolving media landscape – and it's just the beginning."

Isentia is looking to extend its boundaries ahead in the area of language recognition. The launch of the Te Reo Mori speech recognition feature is unfolding as the media intelligence company is developing the capability for Southeast Asian languages. This move signals a wider company initiative to intensify capability in indigenous language markets.

Additionally, Isentia's sister company, Pulsar - the social media audience intelligence and listening platform, plans to implement the new speech recognition technology into its systems. This move will enhance the availability of data and its subsequent analysis across varied forms of media.