Will AI voice commands dominate the future of smart homes?

As we all know, the fastest growing vertical field in the smart home field is the smart home appliance market. However, much of this growth depends on the addition of voice control technology. Voice-controlled AI assistants—which allow consumers to direct, control, or engage with technology through their voices—are becoming the primary method of communicating with devices.

Voice Control: Giving People What They Want

Consumers accustomed to getting answers at the touch of a finger have found it easy (and eager) ) adapt to using their voices, and the addition of artificial intelligence (AI) makes the transition seamless. Like web and mobile, voice is now transforming from just another interface into a unique consumer channel.

It is expected that by 2024, the number of voice assistants will reach a staggering 8.4 billion, exceeding the total population of the world. Additionally, the 2021 Voice Consumer Index surveyed technology users and found that one in three people use voice technology on a daily basis. It’s clear that voice technology is increasingly becoming an essential part of our daily lives. The addition of voice user interfaces (VUIs) to home appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators will only further accelerate this trend.

Artificial Intelligence Applications in the Home

Today’s homes and devices are becoming increasingly 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 access. With voice control, users don't have to worry about how to use the microwave's touchpad; they can simply speak what they're doing and even save presets for favorite dishes. Users can tell the washing machine to handle delicate items with care, tell the kitchen faucet to fill a cup with water, and even tell the trash can to open automatically when their hands are inconvenient.

While voice control currently exists primarily on smart speakers and mobile devices, voice is poised to transcend those. Advances in hardware and software have made voice control available for virtually 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 control products will increasingly integrate 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 of the obstacles is the need to respond accurately and consistently to people of different ages, different dialects, or language barriers. Thanks to machine learning, edge devices will become more intelligent and useful over time. The new system will be able to better differentiate between different home sounds, opening up new levels of personalization 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 stumble 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 from friends and family, and even checking product packaging and corporate websites. People want to do more with their voice assistants, but are limited. User education is key to giving consumers what they already crave.

AI Voice Connects Everything

Voice is a unified control method that can help all these devices work "together". Voice makes smart homes smarter and easier to manage. Artificial intelligence combined with machine learning enables devices to keep the entire home responsive to the user's every request and call. All it takes is a simple wake word or detectable sound.

Algorithms are often the “secret sauce” that differentiates different voice control products, but this can also lead to a lack of interoperability. Devices that don't work well together make simple tasks more difficult, which is the number one reason for consumer frustration. As the market matures, consumers will choose devices that provide an integrated experience. To meet this demand, manufacturers will need to select components, development kits and SDKs that support voice service interoperability, allowing customers to seamlessly converse with the service of their choice.

Combining the market with unified standards such as Matter will facilitate the deployment of smart devices in the home. Standards give users confidence that the smart devices they choose will work reliably together while taking the guesswork out of the purchasing process. Ultimately, any consumer can choose a secure, seamless connected home.

Future voice control will bring the freedom to issue voice commands without the need for a smart speaker. With the right support, voice technology could easily become the primary method of communication.

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