who are we
We are a frontier voice AI lab
As a frontier research lab, we know what it takes to curate large scale quantities of data that create successful, interactive, and empathic multimodal models. Scaling data is at an inflection point for voice, and we're excited to help labs scale audio pre-training and post-training for speech-language models.
We provide the data and research tooling to help scale model capabilities.
EVERYTHING YOUR MODEL NEEDS
Capabilities
Teach your model to speak 50+ languages, generate voices from prompts, code switch, adopt specific emotions, and more.
Request samples
Explore samples that align with your intended languages, use cases, and model goals.
License access
Scale up access to our large-scale off-the-shelf data, evaluation pipelines, and our voice gym.
Iterate
Collaborate with our researchers to diagnose remaining areas of improvement for your model.
Recent Publications
Peer-reviewed insights
How emotion is experienced and expressed in multiple cultures: a large-scale experiment across North America, Europe, and Japan
Core to understanding emotion are subjective experiences and their expression in facial behavior. Past studies have largely focused on six emotions and prototypical facial poses, reflecting limitations in scale and narrow assumptions about the variety of emotions and their patterns of expression.
Deep learning reveals what facial expressions mean to people in different cultures
Cross-cultural studies of the meaning of facial expressions have largely focused on judgments of small sets of stereotypical images by small numbers of people. Here, we used large-scale data collection and machine learning to map what facial expressions convey in six countries.
Semantic Space Theory: Data-Driven Insights Into Basic Emotions
Here we present semantic space theory and the data-driven methods it entails. Across the largest studies to date of emotion-related experience, expression, and physiology, we find that emotion is high dimensional, defined by blends of upward of 20 distinct kinds of emotions, and not reducible to low-dimensional structures and conceptual processes as assumed by constructivist accounts. Specific emotions are not separated by sharp boundaries, contrary to basic emotion theory, and include states that often blend. Emotion concepts such as “anger” are primary in the unfolding of emotional experience and emotion recognition, more so than core affect processes of valence and arousal. We conclude by outlining studies showing how these data-driven discoveries are a basis of machine-learning models that are serving larger-scale, more diverse studies of naturalistic emotional behavior.
Everything your model needs
Why Our Datasets
World-class data for pre-training and fine-tuning your emotion AI models, backed by years of scientific research.
Ethically Sourced
All data collected with informed consent and rigorous privacy protections.
Globally Diverse
Representative samples across cultures, ages, genders, and demographics.
Expert Annotated
Labeled by trained researchers using validated scientific frameworks.
Research Ready
Clean, structured formats optimized for modern ML pipelines.
Research Areas
Where Hume enables research
From fundamental affective computing to applied behavioral research, our tools power studies across the full spectrum of emotion science.
Affective Computing
Study how AI systems can recognize, interpret, and respond to human emotions across modalities.
Human-AI Interaction
Research the dynamics of emotional exchange between humans and AI systems.
Psychology & Behavior
Use emotion recognition to study human behavior, mental health, and psychological phenomena.
Speech & Language
Analyze prosodic features, sentiment, and emotional expression in human communication.
Multimodal Learning
Explore how emotion manifests simultaneously across face, voice, and language.
Ethics & AI Safety
Study the ethical implications of emotionally-aware AI systems and develop guidelines.
From the Blog
Latest research updates
Introducing OCTAVE (Omni-Capable Text and Voice Engine)
A frontier speech-language model with new emergent capabilities, like on-the-fly AI voice and personality creation.
Dec 23, 2024
How can emotionally intelligent voice AI support our mental health?
Recent advances in voice-to-voice AI, like EVI 2, offer emotionally intelligent interactions, picking up on vocal cues related to mental and physical health, which could enhance both clinical care and daily well-being.
Oct 22, 2024
Are emotional expressions universal?
Do people around the world express themselves in the same way? Does a smile mean the same thing worldwide? And how about a chuckle, a sigh, or a grimace? These questions about the cross-cultural universality of expressions are among the more important and long-standing in behavioral sciences like psychology and anthropology—and central to the study of emotion.
Oct 4, 2024