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BEIJING, July 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sogou Inc. ("Sogou" or the "Company") (NYSE:SOGO), an innovator in search and a leader in China's internet industry, announced that the company recently introduced a virtual anchor technology that simulates natural speech and expression.
The technology integrates advanced image detection and prediction capabilities, as well as speech synthesis, which allow the virtual anchor to "broadcast" text inputs in real time. The technology was recently demonstrated at RISE, a leading technology summit in Hong Kong, as well as in the Chinese mainland.
"We're pleased to introduce this exciting new technology, which could revolutionize the way we think about how humans interact with machines," said Xiaochuan Wang, CEO of Sogou. "Virtual assistants are already rapidly gaining traction as an efficient way to solve daily problems. Creating a more realistic virtual character will facilitate more natural interactions and enable this technology to become an even more integral part of everyday life. While we are still in the early stages of exploring potential applications for this technology, there is no doubt that Sogou will continue to push the boundaries of AI."
As early as 2000, researchers in both the academic and private sectors worked to develop technology which could create a virtual anchor. This type of research has advanced quickly in recent years thanks to the evolution of AI-enabled technologies such as facial recognition, lip-reading and machine learning driven by Big Data analytics. In developing its virtual anchor technology, Sogou's team of AI researchers analyzed audio and visual data from a live anchor's broadcast, allowing them to develop a model which could then produce a realistic virtual anchor that broadcasts text inputs.
The technology has the potential to enable more natural interaction between humans and machines in a wide range of different scenarios. In addition to generating entertainment content, AI-generated characters could also be enabled with Sogou's interactive voice operating system and utilized to deliver personalized content in the education, medical and legal fields.
With a focus on natural language processing and machine learning, Sogou has developed industry-leading capabilities in speech recognition, image recognition and intuitive Q&A. Sogou's speech recognition technology possesses an accuracy rate of over 97%, and Sogou's image recognition technology has achieved an accuracy rate of 96%. In addition, Sogou was ranked first in the highly regarded 2017 WMT Chinese-to-English machine translation competition and similarly received first place in the 2016-2017 13th NTCIR Chinese short text conversation competition, which evaluates the ability of a machine to generate human-like responses to text queries.
Earlier this year, Sogou launched the Sogou Travel Translator and the Sogou Smart Recording Translator. In addition to these products, Sogou's industry-leading machine translation technology has been effectively integrated into its search, Chinese input method and browser services, as well as its translation app.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates, and projections, which involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, intense competition in the market for search and search-related services; our need to continually innovate and adapt in order to grow our business; our reliance on Tencent platforms for a significant portion of our user traffic; and uncertainty regarding the extent and reach of PRC governmental regulation of sponsored search. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Sogou's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2018, and other documents Sogou files with or submits to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Sogou
Sogou Inc. (NYSE: SOGO) is an innovator in search and a leader in China's internet industry. With a mission to make it easy to communicate and get information, Sogou has grown to become the second largest search engine by mobile queries and the fourth largest Internet company by MAU in China. Sogou has a wide range of innovative products and services, including the Sogou Input Method, which is the largest Chinese language input software for both mobile and PC. Sogou is also at the forefront of AI development and has made significant breakthroughs in voice and image technologies, machine translation, and Q&A, which have been successfully integrated into its products and services.
For investor enquiries, please contact:
Jessie Zheng
Sogou Investor Relations
Tel: +86 10 5689 8068
Email: zhengyan@sogou-inc.com
For media enquiries, please contact:
Rachael Layfield
Brunswick Group
Tel: +86 10 5960-8600
Email: sogou@brunswickgroup.com
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