You know what is the best thing about the future is that no one can predict what’s going to happen. Technology also comes under the same purview. Well, you see that many forecasts do the rounds each year on next-gen technologies like— Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Quantum computing, and others. But if we evaluate all the forecasts on the same page, many of them have proved to be wrong.
The same case happened with the voice. But some developments have made the future of voice brighter than it has in previous years.
When voice technology began to emerge in 2011 with the launch of Siri, nobody imagined that this technology would act as the driver for tech innovation. Today, every 5 Americans has a smart speaker (Google Home, Amazon Echo). And it is well estimated that by 2020, more than 100 million smartphone users will use voice assistants.
Brands like Apple, Amazon, and Google are competing against each other for a competitive edge. And why is there so much competition thriving in this innovation? Because since its inception, it has been growing unprecedentedly across all industries like—Healthcare, Banking, and all the organizations are on a spree to integrate voice to interact with customers and meet their demands efficiently.
Look at the stats of its adaptability—
If you still have any confusion about voice search, let us explain from some layman’s perspective. It is a technology that allows users to perform a search on the internet through verbal means through a smart device like a smartphone or a computer.
It is entirely different from the traditional method that entirely relies on typing a certain query into a search box. In this method, a query is answered by a search engine or a digital assistant.
Since the inception of Voice in 2011, voice technology has proved a lot in its favor. So let’s discuss how many wonders it can do in the future course. But as we discussed we can only predict anything, we just can’t be certain about anything.
Here are the 7 predictions for voice in 2020 in AI
Streamlined Conversations
Both Google and Amazon have to use the awakening word (Alexa for Amazon or Ok Google for Google) to start a new conversation. For example, if you want to know the temperature of your room. Then you will say Alexa, what is the temperature of my room. And then to set the temperature at a certain level, you have to say again the wake word “Alexa” and set the room temperature at 27. But now with the update, you can have this conversation by saying “Alexa” what is the temperature of your room. And then without saying the wake word “Alexa” you can simply command to set the temperature at 27.
Having devices that can understand these contextual factors will make the communication more convenient, but ensure that the technology will always serve a user-centric experience.
Compatibility and Integration
Today, Amazon is at the forefront when it comes to integrating voice technology with other products. Users of Alexa are already integrated with a wide range of products. Well, Amazon is taking the lead for sure but Google has also started to catch the market through Google Assistant Connect.
The prime objective this technology serves is that manufacturers create custom devices that serve specific functions and are integrated with the assistant. And when you see the further interventions in the voice area in the year 2020, it may be the rise of mid-range devices. These devices will communicate with your phone via your smart speaker, display, or Bluetooth.
Search behaviors change
If we believe the report from Juniper Research is correct, voice-based ad revenues will reach $ 19 billion by 2022. Thanks to the unprecedented rise in voice searches on mobile devices.
Brands that are transforming touchpoints into listening points are now gearing, and organic search is the primary way for brands to gain visibility. And as per ComScore data, 50% of all searches will be by voice tech by 2020.
By seeing the adaptability and popularity of voice search, advertising agencies and marketers are expecting voice giants, Google & Amazon, to update their platforms for paid messaging.
Personalized experiences
Since voice tech has evolved, voice assistants continue to offer more personalized experiences while enhancing the difference between voices. Google home is so evolved that it supports six user accounts and easily identifies unique voices.
Customers may put queries like, “What’s on my calendar today? Or tell me about my day. And the assistants are smart enough to specify all the details like travel plans, and weather, and schedule appointments for any individual users.
Assistants are also enough to memorize even nicknames, office locations, payment information, and other info. And for those who are using Alexa, “Learn My Voice” allows users to create voice profiles so that users can be served with a more personalized experience.
Voice Push Notifications
Push notifications have always been an effective tool to engage users with the app. And because of the voice technology push, this function has got a unique touch. Talking about push notifications is an effective way of increasing user engagement and retention and reminding users of the app and displaying relevant messages to the user.
To make this mainstream like us, both Google and Alexa, allow users to get notifications for any compatible third-party app. So with that, users can listen to the notifications rather than read them.
Touch Interaction
This is a new feature that has been launched recently by Google in CES2019 (link) to integrate the finest voice and visual display into a seamless experience. It has been demonstrated as a link screen. And the display can show details like weather, local traffic information, or events. This functionality will add visual and voice capabilities together allowing users to communicate more with the helper.
Security becomes a focus
According to a report by Microsoft, about 41% of the users of voice devices are concerned about trust and confidentiality. To make it more secure and convenient for customers to make purchases, Amazon & Google have introduced some security measures like speaker verification and ID as part of using the voice assistant experience.
Look at some of the stats which will give you a thorough idea of the voice market and how it has been impacted the tech market—
- About 60% of the smartphone users have tried voice search at least once in the 12 months
- It is estimated that by 2024, the global voice-based smart speaker market could be worth $30 billion, which is a huge potential.
- In terms of accuracy, Google Home is the winner by answering 81% of the queries correctly on average.
- As per the stats, the top 3 keywords in voice search phrases are “how”, “what” and “best”.
- More than 20% of voice search queries are triggered by a combination of 25 keywords.
Without a shadow of a doubt, 2020 is a more exciting year for voice than it was before. And by seeing the driving potential it has, many players will enter this domain to prove their mettle.
