As we all know, the fastest growing vertical in the smart home space is the smart home appliance market. However, much of this growth depends on the addition of voice-controlled technology. Voice-controlled AI assistants that allow consumers to direct, control or engage with technology through their voice are emerging as the primary method of communicating with devices.
Voice Control: Giving People What They Want
Consumers accustomed to getting answers at their fingertips have easily (and eagerly) adapted to using their voices, and the addition of artificial intelligence (AI) makes the transition seamless. Like web and mobile, voice is now transforming from another interface to a unique consumer channel.
The number of voice assistants is expected to reach a staggering 8.4 billion by 2024, more than the entire world population. Additionally, the 2021 Voice Consumer Index surveyed tech users and found that one in three people use voice technology on a daily basis. It is clear that voice technology is increasingly becoming an integral part of our daily lives. The addition of voice user interfaces (VUIs) to appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators will only further accelerate this trend.
The application of artificial intelligence in the home
Today’s homes and devices are becoming more complex, making it more difficult to operate seamlessly. Due to the difficulty of the interface, many devices have deep feature sets that most users never have access to. With voice control, users don’t have to struggle with how to use the microwave’s touchpad; they can simply say what they’re doing and even save presets for their favorite dishes. Users can tell washing machines to handle delicate items with care, tell kitchen faucets to fill cups, and even tell trash cans to open automatically when their hands are out of reach.
While voice control currently exists primarily on smart speakers and mobile devices, voice is poised to surpass these. Advances in hardware and software have made voice control suitable for almost any type of product. Industry efforts to improve voice service interoperability, or the ability of a device to support multiple voice assistants, can also be supported by design. Discreet or even invisible systems can be embedded into devices, and new systems have instant response times without cloud latency.
The next iteration of voice-controlled products will integrate more voice into standalone products that operate in different areas of the home. Some of these devices will leverage cloud technology for back-end intelligence, while others will maintain local interactions. A new generation of complex use cases awaits us.
Voice control for everyone
While every product is ready to host voice technology, voice user interfaces (VUIs) still need to overcome some hurdles to be equally useful to everyone.
One such barrier is the need to respond accurately and consistently to people of different ages, dialects, or language barriers. Edge devices will become smarter and more useful over time thanks to machine learning. The new system will be able to better differentiate between different home voices, opening up new levels of personalisation and security. Professional organizations like Black in AI, Women in Machine Learning, and Women in Voice are working to increase the representation of diverse voices in AI, speech technology, and machine learning. Organizations like these will ultimately lead to greater innovation and inclusion.
Users also need more support from brands to understand more of what voice technology can do for them. Most users just stumbled upon the voice experience. According to the Voice Consumer Index 2021, many people figured out how to make voice work for their homes through basic trial and error, analysis by friends and family, and even examining product packaging and business websites. People want to do more with their voice assistants, but are limited. User education is the key to giving consumers what they already crave.
AI voice connects everything
Voice is a unified control that helps all these devices work “together”. Voice makes smart homes smarter and easier to manage. The combination of artificial intelligence and machine learning enables the device to allow the entire home to respond to the user’s every request and call at all times. All it takes is a simple wake word or a detectable sound.
Algorithms are often the “secret sauce” that differentiates different voice-controlled products, but this also leads to a lack of interoperability. Devices that don’t work well together make simple tasks more difficult, and are the No. 1 cause of consumer frustration. As the market matures, consumers will choose devices that provide an all-in-one experience. To meet this demand, manufacturers will need to select components, development kits and SDKs that support voice service interoperability, allowing customers to seamlessly talk to the service of their choice.
Combining the marketplace with a unified standard such as Matter will facilitate the deployment of smart devices in the home. Standards give users confidence that the smart devices of their choice will work together reliably, while taking the guesswork out of the buying process. Ultimately, any consumer can choose a secure, seamless connected home.
The future of voice control will bring the freedom to issue voice commands without the need for a smart speaker. With the right support, voice technology will easily become the primary means of communication.
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