- To address the issue of disruptive chewing noises, especially prevalent during calls and gaming sessions, Doritos has introduced an innovative solution utilizing artificial intelligence (AI).
- The development of Doritos Silent involved a collaborative effort between the snack company and software developers, who meticulously recorded numerous instances of chewing sounds for analysis.
- Doritos Silent is compatible with any software that necessitates the use of headphones for PC-based calling functionalities.
Gamers, telecommuters, and individuals inadvertently causing annoyance by munching on nachos during phone conversations now have access to a novel tool designed to suppress ambient noise.
Doritos Silence, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, has introduced a cutting-edge technology that effectively cancels out chewing sounds during voice calls. This software is compatible with various platforms where headphone usage is prevalent, such as Zoom, as reported by The Washington Post.
Primarily tailored to cater to Doritos’ core demographic of gamers, the system aims to mitigate distractions caused by munching noises, as stated by Mustafa Shamseldin, PepsiCo’s Chief Marketing Officer for global meals. Shamseldin emphasized that crunching sounds can significantly disrupt a player’s focus during gameplay.
The program strikes a delicate balance for consumers, as revealed by a survey conducted among Doritos’ target audience. While a majority of gamers enjoy snacking while gaming, there is a notable aversion to the noise generated by fellow players’ munching habits, especially when it involves crunchy snacks like chips, according to insights from The Washington Post.
Opting to leverage technology to address this challenge, Doritos chose to develop a noise-canceling solution rather than altering the snack’s composition to reduce noise levels, as suggested by Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, in 2018.
Contrary to initial speculations, Doritos clarified that they have no plans to introduce a noise-reduced version of their chips.
The creation of Nacho Silence was a result of a partnership between Doritos and Smooth Technology, an engineering and design consultancy, as disclosed in a statement.
Dylan Fashbaugh, the lead engineer at Smooth Technology, highlighted the necessity of recording over 500 individuals consuming nacho chips to train the AI system effectively. By blending speech patterns with chewing sounds, the AI was trained to differentiate between human voices and crunching noises, ensuring optimal noise suppression capabilities.
