The market for devices based on vocal interfaces is finally mature. 2017 was the year of the first significant increase in sales of home assistants and smart speakers, which according to some estimates would have tripled in the last twelve months in the United States. The role of voice assistants, moreover, is becoming increasingly central even within other devices, if it is true that in the USA almost one in two people claims to exploit the functionality of a voice assistant, mainly using a smartphone.
The development of artificial intelligence – capable of handling complex requests formulated by users – and the design of interactions with voice assistants that are increasingly conversational are the key elements for the dissemination of services that take advantage of the vocal interfaces.
Among the markets that could benefit from the combination of voice interaction and artificial intelligence, there is certainly e-commerce: among the features that can be activated with Alexa there are already those that allow you to buy from Domino’s Pizza, Pizza Hut and Starbucks, even if, according to user reviews, the skills provided by these brands can still be improved.
Giving voice and ears to the objects of everyday life is instead the challenge that concerns other smart devices, such as TV and appliances. Changing the settings of the thermostat by giving a voice command or turning on the lights in your home is already possible (for example, thanks to Nest), but intelligent objects – capable of incorporating instructions and providing feedback in natural language – are inevitably destined to grow. Also, the management of the connected car is already a reality: the skill designed by Ford for Alexa allows to lock and unlock the doors of the car, check the tire pressure and the condition of other components of the vehicle.
