Ordering a Pizza by Phone with a Talking Computer (1974)

The history goes that the first work on speech synthesis began with force at the beginning of the 20th century, but it wasn't until the 1970s that they left their experimental stages behind. One of those systems became a pioneer on December 4, 1974, when the Artificial Language Laboratory at Michigan State University used it to order a pizza by phone.

Programs and services that convert text to speech abound on the web. In fact, some of the available engines are based on natural voices with quite polished results... and the occasional error in the middle. However, speech synthesis is only part of the equation. People who need these systems may suffer other disabilities that limit their speed when entering text. One of the most media-friendly examples is Stephen Hawking, with his system adapted to an ever-increasing number of physical constraints.

When studying the history of speech synthesis, we inevitably must pass through the Voder from Bell Labs in 1939. Using it was a nightmare, but it served as a cornerstone for everything that came later. 35 years later, a group of researchers and students at the Artificial Language Laboratory of Michigan State University demonstrated the spectacular progress of speech synthesis with a simple action: They ordered a pizza by phone.

The video shows Donald Sherman, an MSU student with Moebius syndrome, trying to order a pizza at the local Domino's branch. At first he didn't have much luck, and those on the other end of the line simply hung up due to the system's slowness. Four attempts later, Sherman was attended by someone at Mr. Mike's pizzeria with the patience and intelligence to understand what was happening.

Even so, he didn't make it easy, because he asked to spell the last name, and a phone number to confirm the order. A large pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, ham, and sausages. The total price was $6.25, strong evidence that the video belongs to 1974.

In the following years, the university has celebrated this historical moment, and Domino's joined the festivities with several pizzas, despite having asked for the opportunity to deliver the first pizza in the world ordered using speech synthesis.