Basque-speaking Smart Speaker based on Mycroft AI

Abstract Speech–driven virtual assistants, known as smart speakers, such Amazon Echo and Google Home, are increasingly used. However, commercial speakers only support a handful of languages. Even languages for which ASR TTS technology is available, many official EU member state languages, not supported due to disinterest derived from their – relatively speaking rather small number speakers. This problem even more crucial minority expected anytime soon, or ever. In this ELG pilot project we developed Basque–speaking speaker, making use the open source speaker Mycroft AI Elhuyar Foundation’s speech technologies Basque. Apart getting it speak Basque, one our goals was make privacy friendly, non–gendered local services, because these usual issues concern. The has also served improve art Basque technology.