Until last year, around 20% of Americans used smart speakers. This means that more than 47 million people issue voice commands to perform routine activities. Currently, Google Assistant, Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Amazon’s Alexa rule this space.
Apple users can direct Siri to control smart thermostats and smart lights. As of now, you can issue voice commands to Siri to hail a ride using Uber. So far, voice control technology is still in its nascent stage, where you can only issue a specific set of commands. However, the rise of the IoT is going to expand a lot more opportunities in the voice control space.
24/7 Support
Machines have already become adept at visual recognition due to which they can recognize objects better than humans. The use of AI can ensure that they can parallel humans in listening too.
In the future, computers can listen to human beings all the time. Whether you are driving an automobile, working in a conference room, or have a wearable device on you, IoT equipment can connect you with voice assistants 24/7 and provide useful insights all the time. For instance, if your heartbeat is too low, a voice assistant can get this information from your fitness tracker and notify your family.
Medical Impact
Voice technologies can reshape future healthcare institutions. Medical chatbots can play the role of first responders. Patients will ask chatbots for suggestions for basic health-related questions. When the issue is beyond the scope of the chatbot, they will direct you to a doctor. In this way, doctors and nurses can receive a much-needed breathing space and are only called when they are truly needed.
When voice assistants can engage people in communication, their speech patterns can be assessed to look for any disorder. IBM is already working on this development. On a similar note, voice assistants can become helps in medical administration. They can converse with patients and create medical records accordingly.
Streamlined Conversations
Amazon and Google plan to free their voice assistants from repeated “wake” words (“Alexa” and “Ok, Google”). Earlier, it was necessary to use a wake word to continue conversations. Now, these brands are moving towards a more natural and familiar form of communication.
People use voice technology in all types of locations, often it is done in the middle of multitasking where they might be alone or may have someone with them. Futuristic voice technologies can extract the context from these conversations to deliver more customized user experiences.
Final Thoughts
With the rapid rise of IoT, the demand for voice control is also moving at an upward trajectory. The hands-free factor makes up for much convenience where consumers are attempting to issue voice commands as much as they can in their homes and offices. Although so far, IT giants have mostly done all the leg work, soon, SMEs and startups would join the space too because voice enablement will hold a critical value in their products and services.