NYC Accent Among Most Difficult For AI To Understand: Survey

NEW YORK CITY — If you're a New York City native who's ever had the frustrating experience of having to ask Siri or Alexa the same question multiple times, there may be a reason for that, according to a new survey.

The survey released by the online language-learning platform Guide2Fluency.com talked to 3,000 Americans to find out how well artificial intelligence understands a variety of accents across the country.

The New York City accent is the second most misunderstood by AI platforms including the popular ChatGPT, according to the survey.

"Imagine asking your virtual assistant to find the best 'dawg' (dog) park in 'Manhatt'n or to give you directions to 'Toidy-Toid and Toid' (Thirty-Third and Third)," Guide2Fluency.com said in a news release.

The Southern accent was the most misunderstood, according to the survey, followed by our neighbors in New Jersey at No. 3.

The below ranking shows the top 10 accents most misunderstood by AI:

1. Southern
2. New York City
3. New Jersey
4. Texan
5. Boston
6. Appalachian
7. Long Island
8. California Valley
9. Miami
10. New Orleans

According to the survey, these misunderstandings often have real-world implications.

"Users with these accents may find AI less reliable for everyday tasks, leading to frustration and a lack of trust in the technology," researchers said. "Improving AI’s ability to understand diverse accents is crucial for making these tools more accessible and user-friendly."

See the full ranking online.