How AI speech-to-text technology is tuning in to a digital Saudi Arabia
As founder and CEO of Soniox — a cutting-edge speech-to-text platform — Simonic is betting that voice-powered technology will drive the next wave of digital innovation.
And in a country like Saudi Arabia, where smartphones dominate daily life and a young population is hungry for digital solutions, the potential is hard to ignore.
Soniox, which Simonic launched five years ago, offers speech recognition, transcription and real-time multilingual translation in more than 60 languages.
Unlike many competitors, it delivers ultra-fast, token-level outputs in milliseconds — a critical advantage for live assistants, wearables, bots and smart speakers.
But Simonic's journey toward building the company began long before the rise of generative AI.
'I started in programming development right after high school, and I was invited to join the Jozef Stefan Institute in Slovenia, one of the best institutes in this part of Europe,' he told Arab News.
'I was working there with Ph.D. students and postdocs on machine learning, natural language processing, dependency parsing, tokenization, tagging and entity extraction.'
That early exposure led him to two internships at Stanford University in 2009 and 2011, where he worked alongside top researchers in AI. 'I wanted to join Google to work on these cool things,' he said.
After an internship there in 2014, Simonic was courted by both Google and Facebook — ultimately joining the latter in 2015 to help build speech recognition systems now used across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Today, his company is focused entirely on voice AI, and its promise goes beyond convenience.
With privacy and compliance built in — including SOC 2 Type II certification and HIPAA readiness — Soniox is already being used in hospitals, call centers and emergency rooms where clear, accurate transcription can be a life-saving tool.
'We have many healthcare customers using our API in emergency rooms where real-time AI interpretation can bridge communication gaps that human translators sometimes cannot, especially with complex medical terminology,' said Simonic.
Saudi Arabia represents a particularly compelling market for the company's ambitions. With more than 90 percent smartphone penetration and a population where 70 percent of people are aged under 35, the Kingdom is fertile ground for voice-enabled technologies.
The widespread adoption of government-developed platforms like Tawakkalna during the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated the Kingdom's reliance on mobile-first services.
'Data and artificial intelligence contribute to achieving Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030; this is because, out of 96, 66 of the direct and indirect goals of the vision are related to data and AI,' according to the Saudi Data & AI Authority.
The Kingdom's communications and IT sector is now worth more than $44 billion — 4.1 percent of gross domestic product — and expanding quickly with strategic investments in cloud computing, automation and smart infrastructure.
Although Soniox does not yet have a team on the ground in the region, the company sees significant interest from Saudi organizations exploring AI-powered transcription and customer service tools.
Simonic said there are pilot programs in countries like Portugal and interest from companies in Saudi Arabia looking to improve call center and transcription services.
And while Arabic remains one of the more complex languages for voice AI, Simonic sees both the challenge and the opportunity. Many of Saudi Arabia's rural communities speak dialects rich in cultural nuance — languages that are often excluded from mainstream datasets.
This environment offers fertile ground for Soniox's technology, which strives to 'enable all languages, so everyone in the world can speak and be understood by AI.'
Simonic's team, primarily based in Slovenia, is committed to expanding language support to make the technology more inclusive, even in markets where none of the developers speak the local tongue.
Soniox is also designed with flexibility in mind. Businesses can integrate its API without storing any audio or transcripts, ensuring tight data control. For individual users, features like encrypted transcripts and a summarizing tool enhance productivity — even for the tech-averse.
'My mom is not very tech-savvy, but she uses our app to build her grocery shopping list,' Simonic said. 'That was not the original purpose, but it shows how technology can evolve in ways we didn't expect.'
In July, Soniox launched a new comparison tool that allows developers and businesses to benchmark different speech AI providers using their own voice samples and real-world data.
It is another step toward transparency and broader adoption — especially in regions like the Gulf, where choosing the right solution can hinge on performance in diverse linguistic contexts.
'The tech morphs, but the human voice remains the most intimate and effective way we communicate,' Simonic said.
As Saudi Arabia pushes forward with its digital transformation under Vision 2030, technologies like Soniox may find their voice amplified — not just as a tool for productivity, but also as a bridge between language, innovation and access in a rapidly changing world.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Australia bans YouTube accounts for children under 16 in reversal of previous stance
MELBOURNE: The Australian government announced YouTube will be among the social media platforms that must ensure account holders are at least 16-years-old from December, reversing a position taken months ago on the popular video-sharing service. YouTube was listed as an exemption in November last year when the Parliament passed world-first laws that will ban Australian children younger than 16 from platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X. Communications Minister Anika Wells released rules Wednesday that decide which online services are defined as 'age-restricted social media platforms' and which avoid the age limit. The age restrictions take effect Dec. 10 and platforms will face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for 'failing to take responsible steps' to exclude underage account holders, a government statement said. The steps are not defined. Wells defended applying the restrictions to YouTube and said the government would not be intimidated by threats of legal action from the platform's US owner, Alphabet Inc. 'The evidence cannot be ignored that four out of 10 Australian kids report that their most recent harm was on YouTube,' Wells told reporters, referring to government research. 'We will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the wellbeing of Australian kids.' Children will be able to access YouTube but will not be allowed to have their own YouTube accounts. YouTube said the government's decision 'reverses a clear, public commitment to exclude YouTube from this ban.' 'We share the government's goal of addressing and reducing online harms. Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens. It's not social media,' a YouTube statement said, noting it will consider next steps and engage with the government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia would campaign at a United Nations forum in New York in September for international support for banning children from social media. 'I know from the discussions I've had with other leaders that they are looking at this and they are considering what impact social media is having on young people in their respective nations,' Albanese said. 'It is a common experience. This is not an Australian experience.' Last year, the government commissioned an evaluation of age assurance technologies that was to report last month on how young children could be excluded from social media. The government had yet to receive that evaluation's final recommendations, Wells said. But she added the platform users won't have to upload documents such as passports and driver's licenses to prove their age. 'Platforms have to provide an alternative to providing your own personal identification documents to satisfy themselves of age,' Wells said. 'These platforms know with deadly accuracy who we are, what we do and when we do it. And they know that you've had a Facebook account since 2009, so they know that you are over 16.' Exempt services include online gaming, messaging, education and health apps. They are excluded because they are considered less harmful to children. The minimum age is intended to address harmful impacts on children including addictive behaviors caused by persuasive or manipulative platform design features, social isolation, sleep interference, poor mental and physical health, low life-satisfaction and exposure to inappropriate and harmful content, government documents say.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
First Australian-made rocket crashes after 14 seconds of flight in a failed attempt to reach orbit
WELLINGTON: The first Australian -made rocket to attempt to reach orbit from the country's soil crashed after 14 seconds of flight on Wednesday. The rocket Eris, launched by Gilmour Space Technologies, was the first Australian-designed and manufactured orbital launch vehicle to lift off from the country and was designed to carry small satellites to orbit. It launched Wednesday morning local time in a test flight from a spaceport near the small town of Bowen in the north of Queensland state. In videos published by Australian news outlets, the 23-meter (75-foot) rocket appeared to clear the launch tower and hovered in the air before falling out of sight. Plumes of smoke were seen rising above the site. No injuries were reported. The company hailed the launch as a success in a statement posted to Facebook. A spokesperson said all four hybrid-propelled engines ignited and the maiden flight included 23 seconds of engine burn time and 14 seconds of flight. Gilmour Space Technologies had planned previous launches of the rocket, in May and earlier this month, but called off those operations because of technical issues and bad weather. CEO Adam Gilmour said in a statement he was pleased the rocket got off the launchpad. 'Of course I would have liked more flight time but happy with this,' he wrote on LinkedIn. Gilmour said in February that it was 'almost unheard of' for a private rocket company to successfully launch to orbit on its first attempt. The firm had earlier said it would consider the launch a success if the rocket left the ground. The launch site infrastructure 'remained intact,' the statement said. Mayor Ry Collins of the local Whitsunday Regional Council said the completed launch was a 'huge achievement' even though the vehicle didn't reach orbit. 'This is an important first step toward the giant leap of a future commercial space industry right here in our region,' he wrote on Facebook. Gilmour Space Technologies has private funders and was awarded a 5 million Australian dollar ($3.2 million) grant this month from the country's federal government for the development of the Eris rocket. It followed the firm's AU$52 million grant agreement with the government in 2023 to advance the development and commercialization of new space technologies in Australia. The country has been the site of hundreds of suborbital vehicle launches but there have only been two successful launches to orbit from Australia before, according to the aerospace news platform NASASpaceFlight. The maiden Eris test flight was the first orbital launch attempt from Australia in more than 50 years.
ArabGT
2 days ago
- ArabGT
GM's New Cadillacs Delight Overseas, Disappoint Americans
General Motors is stirring frustration among its most loyal customers after confirming that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be available in its new Cadillac EVs—but only outside the U.S. In markets like Australia and New Zealand, Cadillac drivers will enjoy full smartphone integration, while American buyers—ironically, in GM's own backyard—are left out. Cadillac EVs Go Fully Connected—But Only Abroad Cadillac's electric future is rolling out globally with models like the Lyriq, Festiq, and Optiq heading to Australia and New Zealand equipped with wireless CarPlay, Android Auto, and the Cadillac Connected Services suite. That means over-the-air updates, customizable screens, and a polished user experience—all powered by the smartphones people already rely on. But in the U.S., the very same vehicles will ship without these popular features. GM is holding the line on a controversial decision it made last year: dropping Apple and Google smartphone mirroring in favor of its own native interface, 'Ultifi.' Ultifi or Bust? Customers Aren't Convinced GM has framed Ultifi as the future—an in-house infotainment system integrated with Google services, designed to be faster, smarter, and more seamless. But many drivers don't see it that way. For them, removing CarPlay and Android Auto isn't progress—it's a downgrade. People want their apps, their maps, their playlists, their familiar interface. They don't want to relearn a new system or lose the personalization and ease they've come to expect. So Why the Divide? GM hasn't given a clear answer. Some speculate that regional differences are driving the decision. Australia, for instance, doesn't offer Super Cruise—GM's hands-free driving system—so full smartphone integration is a must. In the U.S., the company might be pushing drivers toward Ultifi to control the digital ecosystem and eventually monetize it through subscriptions. Backlash From the Home Crowd American buyers aren't happy. Social media and forums lit up with complaints from frustrated drivers asking why someone in Melbourne gets a more connected driving experience than someone in Manhattan or Michigan. Some called it 'digital discrimination,' others saw it as GM putting profits ahead of user experience. In an era where cars are as much about software as they are about steel, these decisions matter—and so does the message they send. For GM, the risk is clear: alienating its most important market while offering better features abroad could cost them more than just good will.
