The introduction of Siri in 2011 marked the beginning of voice technology. Then, no one could have predicted that this new innovation would drive innovation in technology. Now, a decade later, nearly 90 percent of smartphone users will use voice assistants by 2023, according to eMarketer. Nearly one in four US adults own a smart speaker (for example, Google Home, Amazon Echo).
This trend is being driven by companies like Amazon and Google, which are competing for market share. As companies race to release their own voice technology integrations to keep pace with consumer demand, voice interfaces are advancing at an exponential rate in all industries, especially healthcare and banking.
Why Are People Moving Toward Voice?
It’s the changing demands of users that cause this shift to voice user interfaces. Consumers, especially millennials, demonstrate an increase in awareness and comfort. We live in a digital world where speed, efficiency, and convenience are constantly being optimized.
Artificial intelligence is also driving the shift towards voice app in users’ everyday lives. With the increasing popularity of smart appliances, thermostats, and speakers, voice assistants have expanded their utility. The number one way voice is being used is through smart speakers, but it only begins there. In the next 5 years, many expected nearly every application to incorporate voice technology in some form.
Applications of this technology are seen everywhere, so where will it take us in 2021 and beyond? We provide a high-level overview of the potential that voice has and 7 key predictions we think will take off in the coming years.
Key Predictions For Voice Technology
Voice-Tech In Healthcare
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants were crucial in the fight against COVID-19 in 2020. Chatbots helped screen and triage patients, and Apple’s Siri now guides users through CDC COVID-19 assessment questions and recommends telehealth apps. During COVID-19, those who could not leave their homes have been able to use health services via voice recognition and conversational AI. Now that patients have experienced what is possible with voice and healthcare, they are unlikely to return to the old norms. In the years to come, the healthcare industry is going to invest more in voice-technology integration.
Search Behaviors Will Change
There has been a lot of discussion about voice search. It will be difficult to ensure that the voice is visible. The reason for this is that voice assistants do not have a visual interface. Unless connected to an Alexa or Google Assistant app, users cannot see or touch a voice interface. In turn, search behaviors will change dramatically. Juniper Research predicts that by 2022, voice-based ad revenue will reach $19 billion, thanks to a boom in mobile voice search apps.
Now, brands are experiencing a shift in which touchpoints are becoming listening points, while organic search will be the main way for brands to become visible. Advertising agencies and marketers expect Google and Amazon to open up their platforms to additional forms of paid messages as voice search becomes increasingly popular.
Individualized Experiences
Voice assistants will also continue to offer more individualized experiences as they become more adept at recognizing different voices. Google Home supports up to six user accounts and can identify unique voices, making it possible for users to customize many features. You can ask “What’s on my calendar today?”.Do you have any interesting stories to share?” and the assistant will provide commute times, weather, and news information to individual users. Linked accounts such as Google Play, Spotify, and Netflix are also included, as are nicknames, work locations, and payment information. For users of Alexa, simply saying “learn my voice” will allow them to create separate voice profiles so that the technology can detect who is speaking, allowing for a more tailored experience.
Voice Cloning
With machine learning and GPU development, custom voice creation has become commoditized and the speech has become more emotional, which makes the voice indistinguishable from the real thing. A voice conversion technology transforms your recorded speech into another voice using a recorded speech. Advertisers, filmmakers, game developers, and other content creators find voice cloning an indispensable tool.
Smart Displays
Smart displays expanded voice technology’s capabilities in 2016. These devices are now even more in demand, with consumers preferring smart displays over smart speakers. Smart display sales increased by 21 percent to 9.5 million units in the third quarter of 2020, while basic smart speakers declined by three percent. In 2021, we expect for there to be a lot of More advanced technology and greater customization to be integrated into smart displays. In Russia or China, smart screens, like Xiaodu, already offer deep learning-based features like voice interaction, face recognition, and hand or eye gesture recognition.
Voice In The Gaming Industry
To record a voice for each of the characters within the game, it takes a lot of time and effort. It won’t be long before developers can use complex neural networks to mimic human voice. Eventually, neural networks may even be able to create appropriate NPC responses. The game industry is working hard to create and embed this dialogue block into their tools, so we shouldn’t be too far away from seeing games with dynamic dialogue.
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