Windows Speech Recognition: Difference between revisions

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WSR is a locally processed speech recognition platform; it does not rely on [[cloud computing]] for accuracy, dictation, or recognition, but adapts based on contexts, grammars, speech samples, training sessions, and vocabularies. It provides a personal dictionary that allows users to include or exclude words or expressions from dictation and to record pronunciations to increase recognition accuracy. Custom language models are also supported.

With Windows Vista, WSR was developed to be part of Windows, as speech recognition was previously exclusive to applications such as [[Windows Media Player]]. It is present in [[Windows 7]], [[Windows 8]], [[Windows 8.1]], [[Windows RT]], [[Windows 10]], and [[Windows 11]]. The so-called "Startup" of [[Windows Vista Beta 2|Windows Vista Beta]] is actually the startup of the speech recognition tutorial, and Vista beta used [[Windows XP]] sounds <ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HU5aWBoWog |title=Windows Vista Beta 1 Startup sound (Animated) |date=2014-03-16 |last=inf¹ |access-date=2024-06-17 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlruxiqRhvI |title=Windows Vista Speech Recognition Tutorial - Welcome Sequence |date=2022-02-15 |last=ThatRandomToast |access-date=2024-06-17 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

==History==

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During WinHEC 2004 Microsoft included WSR as part of a strategy to improve productivity on mobile PCs.<ref name="MobilePCs">{{cite web |url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/8/f/18f8cee2-0b64-41f2-893d-a6f2295b40c8/SW04023_WINHEC2004.ppt |title=Windows For Mobile PCs And Tablet PCs — CY05 And Beyond |last=Suokko |first=Matti |date=2004 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |format=PPT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051214170817/http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/8/f/18f8cee2-0b64-41f2-893d-a6f2295b40c8/SW04023_WINHEC2004.ppt |archive-date=December 14, 2005 |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref><ref name="MobilePCs04">{{cite web |url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/8/f/18f8cee2-0b64-41f2-893d-a6f2295b40c8/SW04022_WINHEC2004.ppt |title=Windows For Mobile PCs and Tablet PCs — CY04 |last=Fish |first=Darrin |date=2004 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |format=PPT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051214170759/http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/8/f/18f8cee2-0b64-41f2-893d-a6f2295b40c8/SW04022_WINHEC2004.ppt |archive-date=December 14, 2005 |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref> Microsoft later emphasized [[accessibility]], new mobility scenarios, support for additional languages, and improvements to the speech user experience at WinHEC 2005. Unlike the speech support included in Windows XP, which was integrated with the Tablet PC Input Panel and required switching between separate Commanding and Dictation modes, Windows Vista would introduce a dedicated interface for speech input on the desktop and would unify the separate speech modes;<ref name="NaturalInput">{{cite web |url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/8/f/98f3fe47-dfc3-4e74-92a3-088782200fe7/TWDT05006_WinHEC05.ppt |title=Natural Input on Mobile PC Systems |last=Dresevic |first=Bodin |date=2005 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |format=PPT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051214132222/http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/8/f/98f3fe47-dfc3-4e74-92a3-088782200fe7/TWDT05006_WinHEC05.ppt |archive-date=December 14, 2005 |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref> users previously could not speak a command after dictating or vice versa without first switching between these two modes.<ref name="CommandingandDictation">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robch/archive/2005/08/01/446131.aspx |title=Commanding and Dictation — One mode or two in Windows Vista? |last=Chambers |first=Rob |date=August 1, 2005 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=[[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] |access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> Windows Vista Beta 1 included integrated speech recognition.<ref name="WindowsVistaBeta1">{{cite web |url=http://winsupersite.com/product-review/windows-vista-beta-1-review-part-3 |title=Windows Vista Beta 1 Review (Part 3) |last=Thurrott |first=Paul |date=October 6, 2010 |publisher=[[Penton (company)|Penton]] |work=Windows IT Pro |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823104310/http://winsupersite.com/product-review/windows-vista-beta-1-review-part-3 |archive-date=August 23, 2014 |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref> To incentivize company employees to analyze WSR for software [[software bug|glitch]]es and to provide feedback, Microsoft offered an opportunity for its testers to win a Premium model of the [[Xbox 360]].<ref name="MicrosoftWSRPoster">{{cite web |url=http://www.brian.levy3.net/proj_msft_poster1.html |title=Microsoft Speech Recognition poster |last=Levy |first=Brian |date=2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061011080004/http://brian.levy3.net/proj_msft_poster1.html |archive-date=October 11, 2006 |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref>

During a demonstration by Microsoft on July 27, 2006—before Windows Vista's [[release to manufacturing]] (RTM)—a notable incident involving WSR occurred that resulted in an unintended output of "Dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all" when several attempts to dictate led to consecutive output errors;<ref name="GoodDemos">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.reuters.com/blog/archives/1991 |title=Updated – When good demos go (very, very) bad |last=Auchard |first=Eric |date=July 28, 2006 |publisher=[[Thomson Reuters]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521230956/http://blogs.reuters.com/blog/archives/1991 |archive-date=May 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 29, 2018}}</ref><ref name="MSNBC">{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.nbcnews.com/id/14158843wbna14158843 |title=Software glitch foils Microsoft demo |date=August 2, 2006 |publisher=[[NBC News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328233150/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/14158843/ |archive-date=March 28, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref> the incident was a subject of significant derision among analysts and journalists in the audience,<ref name="NeedsWork">{{cite web |url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/07/31/HNvoicevista_1.html |title=Vista voice-recognition feature needs work |last=Montalbano |first=Elizabeth |date=July 31, 2006 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |work=[[InfoWorld]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060805091528/http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/07/31/HNvoicevista_1.html |archive-date=August 5, 2006 |access-date=June 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Stammers">{{cite web |url=http://www.techhive.com/article/126613/article.html |title=Vista's Voice Recognition Stammers |last=Montalbano |first=Elizabeth |date=July 31, 2006 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |work=TechHive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703154114/http://www.techhive.com/article/126613/article.html |archive-date=July 3, 2015 |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref> despite another demonstration for application management and navigation being successful.<ref name="GoodDemos"/> Microsoft revealed these issues were due to an audio [[Gain (electronics)|gain]] glitch that caused the recognizer to distort commands and dictations; the glitch was fixed before Windows Vista's release.<ref name="FAM">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robch/archive/2006/07/29/682479.aspx |title=FAM: Vista SR Demo failure — And now you know the rest of the story ... |last=Chambers |first=Rob |date=July 29, 2006 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=[[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522071447/http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robch/archive/2006/07/29/682479.aspx |archive-date=May 22, 2011 |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref>

Reports from early 2007 indicated that WSR is vulnerable to attackers using speech recognition for malicious operations by playing certain audio commands through a target's speakers;<ref name="SpeechRecognitionHole">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6320865.stm |title=Vista has speech recognition hole |date=February 1, 2007 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] |work=[[BBC News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203051551/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6320865.stm |archive-date=February 3, 2007 |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref><ref name="RemoteExploit">{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2007/02/01/remote-exploit-of-vista-speech-reveals-fatal-flaw/ |title=Remote 'exploit' of Vista Speech reveals fatal flaw |last=Miller |first=Paul |date=February 1, 2007 |publisher=[[AOL]] |work=[[Engadget]] |access-date=June 28, 2015}}</ref> it was the first vulnerability discovered after Windows Vista's [[Software release life cycle#General availability|general availability]].<ref name="PCWorld">{{cite web |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128737-c,vistalonghorn/article.html |title=Honeymoon's Over: First Windows Vista Flaw |last=Roberts |first=Paul |date=February 1, 2007 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |work=[[PCWorld]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204030144/http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128737-c,vistalonghorn/article.html |archive-date=February 4, 2007 |access-date=June 28, 2015}}</ref> Microsoft stated that although such an attack is theoretically possible, a number of mitigating factors and prerequisites would limit its effectiveness or prevent it altogether: a target would need the recognizer to be active and configured to properly interpret such commands; microphones and speakers would both need to be enabled and at sufficient volume levels; and an attack would require the computer to perform visible operations and produce audible feedback without users noticing. [[User Account Control]] would also prohibit the occurrence of privileged operations.<ref name="SpeechIssue">{{cite web |url=https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/msrc/2007/01/31/issue-regarding-windows-vista-speech-recognition/ |title=Issue regarding Windows Vista Speech Recognition |date=January 31, 2007 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=[[Microsoft TechNet|TechNet]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520045703/https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/msrc/2007/01/31/issue-regarding-windows-vista-speech-recognition/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 20, 2016 |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref>