[jcims]

Or it could be that a goatee physically influences the sound of the voice in a way that is perceptible to the algorithm. For example, damping transmission through the skin and attenuating reflections off the chin and upper pip.

[anigbrowl]

It doesn't. I worked as a sound engineer in film for a decade and I'm extremely forensically minded.

[jcims]

You motivated me to investigate.

Extreme example, compare audio at 4m and 21m - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dbQ2OA4SRA

Clearly a different top end.

Did a little tinkering in Audacity and with the beard there's a standard roll off from 3khz to 10khz. Without there's a weird flat spot in the same area (both are averaged over 20 seconds or so)

[solarkraft]

But are you absolutely sure there aren't tiny, tiny differences? I don't think it's likely, but how can you be so sure?

[anigbrowl]

I'm dubious because of the frequency range of audio recordings (especially post compression on Youtube) and the size of cells, even large ones like hair follicles.

[ClassyJacket]

You can't know this.

[drusepth]

How do you know he can't know this?

[wanderfowl]

This feels very unlikely. Hairs are thin, non-absorptive, and spaced far enough apart to avoid much absorption. Unless it were an exceptionally bushy and thick goatee, I don't imagine there's much effect.

[jpfed]

They trained this model on Youtube videos. I'd be surprised if whatever fine differences goatees may induce didn't get crushed away by Youtube's lossy compression.