Benjamin Lindquist
Postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University’s Science in Human Culture program. Author of “The Art of Text to Speech” and currently writing a history of text-to-speech computing.
Best podcasts with Benjamin Lindquist
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May 19, 2025 • 54min
From Hal to Siri: How Computers Learned to Speak
In this engaging discussion, Benjamin Lindquist, a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University and author of "The Art of Text to Speech," shares insights on the evolution of computer speech. He dives into the intriguing backstory of HAL 9000 and its cultural impact on technology. Lindquist reveals the fascinating journey of early talking computers, including the forgotten innovator Louis Gerstman. The conversation also touches on the phonemic challenges faced by systems like Siri and explores the critical differences between analog and digital speech technologies.
May 19, 2025 • 54min
From Hal to Siri: How Computers Learned to Speak
Benjamin Lindquist, a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University and author of "The Art of Text to Speech," dives into the intriguing evolution of computer speech. He discusses the backstory of HAL 9000 from "2001: A Space Odyssey" and its impact on computer science. Listeners will learn about early talking computers, the surprising journey behind the IBM mainframe that famously sang "Daisy Bell," and why Stephen Hawking’s phonemic voice didn't make it into Siri. Lindquist highlights the fascinating interplay between analog and digital technologies in speech synthesis.
