Voiceto

Voiceto is an open-standard protocol and platform for converting spoken language into structured data and actions that software can execute. Intended to be language-agnostic and device-agnostic, voiceto provides a common data model, APIs, and reference implementations to support voice-enabled applications across mobile, desktop, and embedded devices.

The core of voiceto is a real-time pipeline that captures audio, performs speech recognition, derives an intent and entities, and emits a standardized payload, typically JSON, containing fields such as transcript, intent, entities, outcome, and confidence. The protocol supports multiple ASR and NLU backends, online and offline modes, and language localization.

Architecturally, clients stream audio to a backend service or run edge models, which return commands or actions the host application can execute. Security and privacy are prioritized through TLS, token-based authentication, and user-consent controls. A modular plugin system enables integration with various device ecosystems and development stacks.

Voiceto emerged in the early 2020s as a community-driven effort to reduce vendor lock-in in voice technology. It has since inspired multiple open-source projects and commercial implementations, while efforts to standardize the schema and improve on-device processing continue.

Use cases include voice-controlled smart home devices, accessibility tools, transcription workflows, and enterprise voice assistants. By offering a uniform interface for voice input, voiceto aims to lower development costs and foster interoperability across platforms.