ACM Technology Policy Council Releases "TechBrief: Automated Speech Recognition"

December 16, 2025

ACM's Technology Policy Council (TPC) has released the latest installment in the TechBriefs series,"TechBrief: Automated Speech Recognition.” The TechBrief recognizes that while Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) technology uses sophisticated machine learning algorithms to understand and transcribe spoken language to text, this raises interrelated ethical concerns about fairness, transparency, and accountability.

Risks of systemic bias, misuse, and unintended harm in high-stakes decision-making inform these concerns. These risks can be addressed through rigorous audit and governance practices, as well as by opening opportunities for more inclusive and accessible speech technologies.

 ACM’s TechBriefs are designed to complement ACM’s activities in the policy arena and to inform policymakers, the public, and others about the nature and implications of information technologies. Previous ACM TechBriefs focused on governmental digital transformation, accessibility, generative artificial intelligence, and climate change among others. Topics under consideration for future issues include Open Source, Build vs. Buy AI, and more.