Scientists are teaching AI how to understand slang words such as 'chuck' and 'nowt' so that automated phone lines can understand local callers. But the technology struggles to understand variations in accent and the use of slang words. Now, researchers are leading a study to make AI better able to understand the different terms and tones. The word 'canny', meanwhile, is a widely used slang term in the Geordie dialect, generally meaning something is nice or good. It follows a recent survey which revealed that over half of UK residents are concerned that AI may struggle to understand accents or dialects.

Source: Daily Mail February 25, 2026 23:18 UTC