Exploring Voice Innovation with Ricardo Herreros-Symons, Chief Strategy Officer at Speechmatics

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At CES 2025, we had an insightful discussion with Ricardo Herreros-Symons, Chief Strategy Officer at Speechmatics, about how their company is transforming voice recognition technology and helping businesses across industries leverage speech data in innovative ways.

Q. Can you introduce yourself and tell us more about Speechmatics?

Ricardo: Sure. I’m Ricardo Herreros-Symons, Chief Strategy Officer at Speechmatics. I’ve been with the business for 10 years. We started with a core focus on speech-to-text technology—essentially turning audio into text. Over time, we evolved our offering to include conversational AI, which powers various use cases across industries.

We now support over 50 languages, including different accents, which makes our solution highly versatile. Our vision is to be at the forefront of all human communication, enabling automated interactions through voice interfaces. Whether it’s live captioning, automated healthcare agents, or contact center support, we aim to make communication more seamless and accessible.

Q: What brings you to CES, and how are you finding the event so far?

Ricardo: This is our first time exhibiting at CES since 2018, and I have to say, it has exceeded our expectations. The foot traffic has been incredible, and our video ad outside the venue definitely caught people’s attention!

One thing I’ve noticed is that CES has evolved beyond just a tech showcase. It’s about making meaningful connections and demonstrating real-world applications of technology. There’s a lot of buzz around AI and automation, but it’s great to see companies presenting tangible solutions rather than just hype.

Q: What sets Speechmatics apart from other players in the voice recognition space?

Ricardo: Our key differentiator is our ability to understand different accents and languages accurately. Many voice recognition systems struggle with accents, but we’ve built a model that excels in this area.

Another big differentiator is our approach to privacy and security. We work with clients in industries like healthcare and finance, where protecting personal information is critical. Our technology ensures that sensitive data is handled securely.

We also take pride in our ability to white-label our solution. In many cases, you won’t see our name, but if you’ve watched a TV show in Europe or called your bank’s customer service, chances are our technology was running in the background.

Q: How do you help clients deal with legacy systems and technical debt?

Ricardo: One of the biggest challenges our clients face is technical debt. Many companies have legacy systems that aren’t designed to handle modern AI technologies.

We help them by building interfaces that integrate with their existing infrastructure. Rather than forcing them to rip and replace their systems, we create solutions that work with what they already have.

We also focus on making our technology scalable and adaptable. This means clients can start small, see results, and then scale up their usage without massive upfront investments.

Q: What do you think about the rise of agentic AI and its impact on people and businesses?

Ricardo: I think agentic AI has huge potential to transform the way people interact with technology. The key is to make these interactions feel natural and human-like.

However, it’s important to strike the right balance. AI should enable people rather than replace them. For example, in contact centers, AI can handle repetitive tasks, freeing up human agents to focus on more complex issues. It’s about augmenting human capabilities, not replacing them.

Q: What trends have you observed at CES 2025?

Ricardo: One of the biggest trends I’ve seen is the shift towards data-driven personalization. Companies are using data to create more personalized experiences for their customers, whether it’s in healthcare, retail, or automotive.

Another trend is the focus on privacy and security. As more devices become connected, ensuring that personal data is protected has become a top priority.

Finally, I’ve noticed a lot of innovation around voice interfaces. From smart home devices to automated customer service agents, voice is becoming a key way people interact with technology.

Q: If you had a magic wand and could build any product or service for your clients, what would it be?

Ricardo: If I could build anything, it would be a universal voice interface that works across all devices and platforms. Imagine being able to use your voice to interact with every device in your life, from your car to your phone to your smart home system, without needing separate apps or logins.

We’re already heading in that direction, but there’s still a long way to go. The goal is to make voice interactions seamless and intuitive, so people can focus on what they want to achieve rather than how they interact with technology.

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