When voice technology began to emerge in 2011 with the introduction of Siri, no one could have predicted that this novelty would become a driver for tech innovation. Now nearly eight years later, it’s estimated that every 1 in 6 Americans own a smart speaker (Google Home, Amazon Echo) and eMarketer forecasts that nearly 100 million smartphone users will be using voice assistants in 2020.
Brands such as Amazon and Google are continuing to fuel this trend as they compete for market share. Voice interfaces are advancing at an exponential rate in industries of all kinds, ranging from healthcare to banking, as companies are racing to release their own voice technology integrations to keep pace with consumer demand.