Using the AI Assistant with Voice Input
After this article, you'll dictate your question to the Univents Assistant by microphone instead of typing it.
When you don't have a hand free or you're simply faster at speaking than typing, you can ask the Univents Assistant your question by speaking directly into the microphone. The assistant turns your voice into text and writes it into the input field.
Start voice input
The assistant opens as a window in the bottom right with the title Univents Assistant. At the bottom you'll find the input field with the placeholder Ask me anything… (press Enter to send) and the microphone icon next to it.
- Open the Univents Assistant via the chat bubble.
- Click the microphone icon next to the input field. The button is labeled Start voice input.
- Allow your browser to access the microphone if it asks the first time around.
- Speak your question at a normal pace, for example "Which events are today?".
While recording, your spoken text appears live in the input field. If you had already typed something beforehand, the dictation is appended to the end rather than overwriting it.
Stop recording and send
Once you've finished speaking, stop the recording and check the recognized text.
- Click the button again, which is now labeled Stop voice input. Often the recording also stops on its own after a brief pause in speech.
- Read the text in the input field and correct it directly with your keyboard if needed.
- Send the question by pressing Enter or clicking the send button on the right.
You don't have to dictate everything in one go. You can start and stop voice input multiple times, or freely mix what you speak and what you type before sending. The assistant then replies just as it would to any typed question.
Requirements
Voice input uses your browser's speech recognition, which is why the microphone icon is only shown when your browser supports this feature. Current versions of Chrome and Edge are the most reliable for this.
- Use a supported browser. If no microphone icon appears, support is missing and you'll type your question instead.
- Allow microphone access. If you decline permission, the text you've typed so far is kept and recording won't start.
- Recognition is set to German. So speak in clear German for the best results.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't I see a microphone icon? Your browser doesn't support the built-in speech recognition. In that case Univents deliberately hides the icon so you don't click into nothing. Switch to a current version of Chrome or Edge, or type your question.
The assistant won't stop recording — what should I do? Click Stop voice input. If you close the window or leave the page, the recording is also ended automatically and the microphone is released.
Is my dictation sent right away? No. The recognized text only lands in the input field. It's not sent until you press Enter or click the send button. That way you can read it over calmly first.
Can I dictate while a response is still being generated? No. While the assistant is replying, the microphone is briefly disabled. Wait until the response is finished, and then voice input is ready again.