ELSA Speak CEO: "AI Cannot Threaten English Learning Apps, We're Still Growing by 60%"

Large language models, which are the basis for the current AI trend, have truly changed how people around the world use words and communicate. It's fair to say that progress in large language models and AI is making it easier for people from different countries to understand each other. This is becoming more real thanks to tools like Samsung Galaxy AI, which can translate languages instantly during phone calls. As AI chips keep getting better at doing AI tasks on devices, many people have started to ask if learning foreign languages is still needed.

But in the middle of this new AI technology wave, the language learning app ELSA Speak, also known as ELSA Online, is showing that it's too early to say people won't need to learn foreign languages anymore. Even though AI technology started to grow quickly at the end of 2022, 2023 was still a big year for ELSA Speak. They raised $23 million in their latest funding round, cementing its position as the best app to learn English.

The secret to growing by more than 60% each year during the AI boom: a special algorithm stronger than Google's.

Even more impressive, ELSA's co-founder and CEO, Van Dinh Hong Vu, said: "ELSA keeps growing by at least 60% every year with a team of nearly 250 people from more than 20 countries, showing steady and lasting growth. Our English improvement app has been downloaded 50 million times worldwide, helping millions of people learn English everywhere."

ELSA Speak's journey to raise money has also been special. They successfully raised money three times: $7 million in 2019, $15million in 2021, and most recently in 2023. What's special about this AI English speaking app that made investors want to keep giving money to it?

CEO Hong Vu said: "There are many investors in the world ready to invest, especially in Silicon Valley. These investors are always looking for great ideas and excellent teams to work with. So, the challenge is to prove that your product has unique technology to solve a problem in the market. Also, your team needs to be able to succeed in this market. This is what ELSA Corp has done, and that's why investors keep giving us money."

According to CEO Vu, ELSA first used Google's translation API to guide users, but Google's speech recognition technology had a big margin for error. This means that even if you said something wrong, the technology would still understand and follow your command. Because of this, ELSA had to build a completely new algorithm, collect big data to develop their own voice recognition technology and text-to-speech technology. This technology allows ELSA to recognize and correct pronunciation mistakes of learners from anywhere in the world, no matter what local accent they have. This is better than current technologies that only work well with native English accents.

For business customers (B2B), ELSA goes beyond general language models that have limited ability to understand specific industries and companies. ELSA connects directly with industry data and internal knowledge sources of each business to provide customized training programs that fit their specific needs.

Companies can use ELSA Language to make their training better. They can add their own work stuff, training examples, and goals into ELSA. This helps companies make training that fits their business and culture. Workers can then improve their English communication skills and use it better at work. This makes them work better and helps the company grow.

The CEO of ELSA, Van Dinh Hong Vu, says, "Our special voice tech, personal learning plans, and ability to change for users made investors like us. They believe we can change how people learn English around the world with our new tech."

Now, this English learning app has been downloaded 50 million times worldwide. It helps millions of people improve their English proficiency.

ELSA has offices in many places like San Francisco, Lisbon, Tokyo, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Minh City. They have a lot of English voice data - over 1 billion hours! This helps ELSA make very personal learning plans for each user. This has helped both people and companies get better at English and do well.

Recently, ELSA was named a "Technology Pioneer" by the World Economic Forum. This award is for companies that make new tech to solve future problems.

ELSA is not afraid of new AI tech. Instead, they are using it to make their app better for users. 

The CEO says, "We know people's thoughts about AI are changing. A new report says 42% of workers feel better about AI's effect on their jobs, up from 26% last year. But many people still worry about losing jobs to AI in the next 10 years. We don't think AI will make English learning apps old. We see it as a chance to make language learning better and more fun for users."

The report also says that 58% of people who use AI at work save at least 5 hours each week. They use this time to do more important work, like being creative or making plans. This fits with what ELSA wants to do - help people learn better so they can spend time on important things.

ELSA AI Role Play is a new feature that helps people practice English in real-life situations. With this tool, learners can practice conversations like job interviews or daily communication. This helps them focus on the language skills they need to improve.

Companies can use ELSA AI too. For example, airlines can make conversation scripts for their staff. These scripts can help employees learn how to handle complaints or give safety announcements. This is very useful for training.

Teachers can also use ELSA tomakeexercises that fit their lessons. Students can practice dialogues from their English textbooks or practice for test situations like IELTS preparation or TOEFL preparation. This helps them use grammar and vocabulary in a practical way.

ELSA gives quick feedback and suggestions to users. It helps them improve their grammar, vocabulary, intonation, pronunciation, and fluency. This real-time feedback can really help people get better at English and gain speaking confidence.

Even Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, was surprised by ELSA Speak's AI abilities. When he visited Vietnam in April, he met the female CEO of ELSA. He saw how an AI built by ELSA could talk like him. ELSA Speak was one of only three app developers that Tim Cook chose to meet during his trip to Vietnam this year.

The CEO of ELSA, Van Dinh Hong Vu, has advice for young people about using new technology like AI. She says, "My advice for young people is to use AI as a strong tool to help you learn and grow. But don't forget that your own effort and commitment to learning are the most important things. AI can help you go further, but you are the one who decides your path and how successful you will be."

In conclusion, ELSA AI is a powerful tool for learning English. It offers many features to help learners practice in real-life situations. However, as the CEO of ELSA reminds us, personal effort is still the key to success in language learning.

In the 2022 The Next Power talkshow, the CEO of ELSA said that the company's innovation formula is to mix the newest creative ideas with direct market needs. So, in the current situation, when 'generative' AI apps like ChatGPT are making a 'big revolution' in language and communication, how will ELSA "innovate creatively" to keep up with new user needs?

CEO Van Dinh Hong Vu says:"GenAI is not the answer to all education challenges. ELSA keeps innovating by going beyond general language models (GenericLLMs) which have limited understanding of each industry and business. Instead, we combine industry data and specific knowledge of each company to create custom training programs that meet the specific needs of each customer."

"Those who have followed our journey for the past eight years can see that ELSA always changes and upgrades its products to fit learners' needs. At first, ELSA was born as an AI tool to improve English pronunciation, with advanced speech recognition technology to detect errors and give detailed feedback to help learners improve every day. After that, we introduced Speech Analyzer - helping users get personalized feedback and customized tips on speaking skills in meetings, online calls, and other real situations. Most recently, we launched ELSA AI - a further step in applying generative AI. This adaptive learning platform allows users to join simulated conversations that fit their personal learning goals, helping them practice English communication in the context they need most, from work to daily life."

As one of the companies using generative AI for educational technology, CEO Van Dinh Hong Vu believes that "generative AI will be a useful assistant if used correctly, bringing many benefits to learners. AI can personalize learning, analyze each learner's style and needs to create more effective learning experiences, from homework support to providing distance learning materials. This helps learners master knowledge and develop critical thinking. However, AI also risks being misused for cheating if not well managed. Therefore, clear rules and user education on how to use AI honestly and responsibly are needed. AI is not the solution to all challenges in education, but with the right direction, it can become a powerful helper, improving education quality and opening up new learning opportunities."

When asked about the next technology that will change the education environment after AI, CEO Van Dinh Hong Vu shares: "After AI, I believe technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Blockchain will have a strong impact on the education environment. These technologies, combined with AI, will reshape how we learn and teach, creating a flexible, personalized, and inspiring learning environment in the future."

With ELSA's big ambitions and determination to innovate, we can expect a more open future for education, especially in the context of AI increasingly changing how we learn and work. With the leadership of pioneering companies like ELSA, technology will not only remove language barriers but also open the door of knowledge for everyone, enabling career advancement, global collaboration, networking opportunities, and communication mastery. 

Source: doisongphapluat.nguoiduatin.vn