+cc [email protected] On Thu, Jan 15, 2026 at 12:32 PM Chromestatus < [email protected]> wrote:
> *Contact emails* > [email protected] > > *Explainer* > > https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fLqaTipW1AcHRwoa7V88Z_SJ52w_xV2lObLq-Sqaw5Q/edit?usp=sharing > > *Specification* > https://webaudio.github.io/web-speech-api > > *Summary* > Extends the SpeechRecognition interface by adding a quality property to > SpeechRecognitionOptions. This allows developers to specify the semantic > capability required for on-device recognition (via processLocally: true). > The proposed quality enum supports three levels—'command', 'dictation', and > 'conversation'—mapping to increasing task complexity and hardware > requirements. This enables developers to determine if the local device can > handle high-stakes use cases (like meeting transcription) or if they should > fallback to cloud services, solving the current "black box" issue of > on-device model capabilities. > > *Blink component* > Blink>Speech > <https://issues.chromium.org/issues?q=customfield1222907:%22Blink%3ESpeech%22> > > *Web Feature ID* > speech-recognition <https://webstatus.dev/features/speech-recognition> > > *Motivation* > While the introduction of processLocally: true was a significant step for > privacy and latency, it currently treats all on-device models as > functionally equivalent. In reality, on-device capabilities are highly > fragmented: a lightweight model optimized for simple voice commands (e.g., > "turn on the lights") is often insufficient for high-stakes use cases like > video conferencing transcription or accessibility captioning, which require > handling continuous speech, multiple speakers, and background noise. > Because developers currently have no way to verify the semantic capability > of the local model, they must blindly trust the device or default to > Cloud-based recognition to guarantee a minimum user experience. This lack > of transparency forces developers to bypass on-device capabilities for > high-end use cases, effectively negating the privacy and bandwidth benefits > of the API. There is a critical need for a mechanism that allows > applications to define their required "floor" of utility (e.g., > conversation-grade accuracy) to confidently utilize local processing. > > *Initial public proposal* > https://github.com/WebAudio/web-speech-api/issues/182 > > *Requires code in //chrome?* > True > > *Tracking bug* > https://g-issues.chromium.org/issues/476168420 > > *Estimated milestones* > > No milestones specified > > > *Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status* > https://chromestatus.com/feature/5136859632107520?gate=6299914562830336 > > This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status > <https://chromestatus.com>. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "blink-dev" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/CAOVsCZ%3DrOCSmtPvwaH251S70bosizT%2BZxKbea%2BimV69t0yKYjg%40mail.gmail.com.
