Like, Gag Me With A Spoon. The Valley Accent Is Totally Gnarly For AI

CALIFORNIA — Do you ever feel like Siri and Alexa, like, totally don't understand you?

If you're a Valley resident who's ever had the frustrating experience of having to ask a chatbot 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 "California Valley" accent is the eighth-most misunderstood by AI platforms, including the popular ChatGPT, according to the survey.

"In eighth place is the California Valley accent, like, totally," according to a news release about the ranking. "When you’re saying 'Oh my God' or 'whatever,' AI might think you’re in distress or needing customer service. And if you ask for 'froyo' (frozen yogurt), don’t be surprised if it suggests a yoga studio instead. AI just doesn’t get the Valley vibe."

The Southern accent was the most misunderstood, according to the survey.

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.