Why Voice Assistants Are Bigger Than You Think

While the tech space discusses foldable phones and 5G, both of which are very exciting, this week we want to discuss Voice Assistants (VA) technology. Today, VA is not perfect; it’s glitchy and prone to mistakes – some of which are hilarious and frustrating at the same time. However, we believe that VA has a lot of potential and could disrupt the tech space once its flaws are ironed out.

 

Why are they so popular?

First, let’s take a look at why voice assistant technology is so popular. VA technology is growing in popularity, in the US 1 out of 5 adults use VA, and its popularity continues to grow in the UK as well. VA is slowly taking off because it is more accessible than typing on a keyboard. VA also does not require texting so you can speak a command to the phone, and the command will be executed on the user’s behalf – meaning it can be used in several scenarios where using devices would be otherwise impossible, like when driving.

A survey revealed that smartphone owners are most likely to use a voice assistant to find answers for general questions, research a product or find a nearby restaurant. But that’s not at all, VA can perform several functions on behalf of its owner like make calls, send messages, set appointments and even open apps. It’s easier to get tasks done (no swiping, no typing needed), just lift the phone and speak a command, which is why voice assistant has become so popular.

Furthermore, the VA gives us the option to complete twice as many tasks at once. You can drive while sending an email, check the traffic to find the best route before getting in your car, make a reservation for dinner while working and many more things. The possibilities are endless with VA, which is why they have become popular especially among adults who have a thousand things to do and so little time to do them.

Why voice assistants are a bigger deal than you realise

Voice assistant continues to be a huge priority for many tech giants. Google, Amazon, Samsung, Apple and even Facebook continue to pour resources into VA tech because it will be a huge disruptor much like computers and smartphones were in the past when they were first introduced.

Voice assistant technology can disrupt the way we live and work. Early forms of VA like Alexa and Siri have already changed the way we look for information, send messages and more. However, as voice assistants become more advanced, they have the potential to disrupt the way we consume digital content, shop online and so much more. VA is proving to be a major disruptor in technology because the way we access information and even perform basic functions like setting a reservation will change completely.

For example, If you want to do more research on a product you want to buy, you won’t do it yourself; you will ask your VA to do it on your behalf. In other words, we are on a new technological frontier.

We expect VA to disrupt technology in several areas, the first being UI. Similar to how smartphones changed UI, VA also has the potential to change the user interface of our devices because the way we interact with the technology is different. Smartphone touchscreens changed how we interacted with our content, leading to new digital products like apps, which paved the way to a rich app ecosystem. VA has the potential to unearth similar change.

Voice assistant is not perfect but the technology continues to get better. AI is improving, which means voice assistants will only get more sophisticated in time. VA could change the way we interact with friends, complete tasks and even consume entertainment. That’s why tech giants like Amazon, Google and Samsung are trying to perfect the technology – anyone who does not come out with a usable voice assistant risks being left behind.

Key takeaways

Today, most voice assistants are glitchy and trigger some hilarious mistakes. However, VAs are a far more significant disruptor than most of us realise. Voice assistants will change the way we work, consume entertainment, shop online, among many other things. As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, VA will also become more complicated. For example, Google has announced Project Euphoria, a project to give people with speech-impairments their voice back, which will make technology accessible to people who previously struggled with it.

It goes without saying that VA is going to make a significant impact on the way we interact with our technology.

 

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