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Why tap on a control when you might get the exact same result from copying a few words? Voice and listening technology is complex and, together with AI, more intelligent than ever. With so much buzz around the tech, you would be forgiven for thinking that our future assistants will resemble Samantha in Her or Jarvis in Iron Man. We may not be there yet, but things are moving.
Almost every smartphone today sports any sort of voice assistant, and based on Google, 20% of these queries on its app and Android devices are voice hunts. The tech is not restricted to mobile devices; it’s finding a place in our houses also. Earnings of the Echo climbed an average of 342% during the last half of 2015, also Amazon estimates that it will sell ten million devices in 2017. Google Home is set to hit UK shelves shortly. So what’s the allure of these ‘listening devices’?
Together with the potential to revolutionise how folks interact with brands, major tech players have eagerly invested in bot platforms and brands are getting on board there are an infinite number of examples including Sephora serving up automated beauty hints around Kik and Copa90 giving football fans a quick fix of game news and results via Facebook Messenger. Thomson powered by IBM Watson and interact with its clients, has produced a virtual travel agent to inspire and Amex is encouraging clients to handle their cash by means of a bot.
But when combined with voice devices that are activated, the game varies! And it’s not just the early tech adopters which are currently embracing’ listening devices’ such as Google Home and Echo, families and regular consumers and they are embracing .
With this mainstream adoption comes high expectations of our AI friends; the ability to listen to and talk make them… human. It is true for voice applications, although it’s no secret that people assign qualities to technology. For example, a third of connections using Robin Labs robots (a business dedicated to evolving voice applications) are reported to become conversational — instead of focusing on a particular task. Why companies are making attempts to produce bots seem human cases are — tell jokes and most are programmed to engage individuals. Cortana’s creators interviewed actual life supporters to understand how they socialize with individuals and what makes them successful.
Why is this important? The more ordinary the voice sounds, the individuals are eager to listen. Right now, people don’t wish to listen to voice assistants for quite long, limiting their roles. However, as technology becomes better, that’s anticipated to change.
With expectations of ‘human like’ behaviour from technology comes stress to have ‘like’ understanding of relatable reference points and local locations. Companies are already tweaking their products to serve customers. Alexa came sporting a British accent, when Amazon Echo was released in the united kingdom and her dictionary was upgraded to British spelling. ‘She’ even knows terms. For example, if you ask “How tall is your Gherkin?” Alexa will understand that you are not speaking about pickled vegetables. Relatable qualities, brought about through knowledge, are important considerations for brand seeking to make the most of the medium.
It is not all smooth sailing for voice activated devices of course and these listening. Research by Creative Strategies found that they are this in private, just 6 percent used by 39 in public areas. 51% use a virtual assistant in the auto, but a mere 1.3% would use it in work.
Since it can still appear unnatural, people are embarrassed to be viewed with them.
Similarly, when we researched ‘listening technology’ a year ago, overwhelmingly people discovered it creepy: the constant processing of information in the background… the effect on privacy. Inviting their own houses to be ‘bugged’. However, the reality is that the technology is proving very popular. Early adopters taking up technology begin to specify a norm, as is usually the case. Once enough men and women are doing it, everybody thinks “well if nobody else is worried, then why should they be?” It’s this type of herd behaviour that makes something socially acceptable, and is very likely to overcome these issues.
With the liberty for brands to produce their own ‘Alexa skills’ (app-like capacities that users can set up to their Echo device as they wish) there’ve already been lots of brands jumping on the change towards voice. Domino’s ‘ability’ allows you to order pizza with just a few words, whilst the Spotify ability lets you control playlists hands free. Echo owners can utter a few words to receive the latest headlines or purchase a ride using Uber. And after seeing that people really like to play along with the game show on TV, Jeopardy! introduced an Alexa ability that enables the entire family. The Food Network is currently assisting people cook together with its own shows.
The worldwide intelligent digital helper market is anticipated to reach $3.07 billion by 2020, therefore there will be a lot more opportunities to follow. The medium provides a space where brands can interact with customers in a engaging way. With advancement in technology and innovation, it is very likely that interactions with devices may look like something from a movie.
