The future of AI voice technology is exciting. It makes it easier, more cost-effective, and more efficient for consumers and businesses to reach one another. The outlet, eMarketer, estimates over a third of the U.S. population (roughly 122 million people) use a voice assistant monthly. Additionally, ComScore reports that more than half of all smartphone users engage with voice search technology.
In this article, we discuss the future of AI voice technology. This includes helping companies personalize consumer experiences on a broader scale. It doesn’t end there. The future of AI voice is bridging technology accessibility gaps and navigating concerns around privacy and deep fakes.
Personalized Experiences in the Future of AI Text to Speech
One of the massive benefits of AI voice is the personalization it provides at a fraction of the time, cost, and resources previously required of marketers, corporate teams, and customer service personnel.
Advertisements
For example, companies often have to create thousands of permutations of a single advertisement. Sometimes it is necessary to localize it across global languages, cultures, and markets. Historically, this has been a very expensive part of the production process, requiring massive amounts of time and resources from voice agencies and post-production. But with AI voice technology, companies can generate thousands of permutations on a text-to-speech platform with literally a few clicks. AI voice technology allows businesses to upload their scripts and select a realistic voice that best communicates their message. Better yet, all this can be done from the comfort and convenience of their computer, anywhere in the world.
Home Devices
The devices consumers interact with at home use AI voice technology to make life easier. Now, with simple voice commands, users can turn lights on or off, lock doors, adjust thermostats, and play music. Smart devices use AI voice to interact with users and clarify requests and commands. Over time, the voice of the home device becomes another voice in the family — a trusted assistant to make life easier and home tasks feel more personable.
Customer Service
Businesses already use AI voice technology for their customer service needs. For example, when patrons call banks, doctor’s offices, and department stores, they’re most likely interacting with recorded prompts from AI text to speech technology. Studies show that businesses can decrease call center customer handling times by 40 percent with AI voice recordings. AI voices provide customers with the information and services they need, instead of long wait times to speak to a customer service representative.
Localization
Gone are the days of the robotic-sounding voice recordings. Instead, businesses can now customize the voice of AI voice technology to reflect the accent and inflections of their consumers. There are approximately 350 to 430 languages spoken in the United States. Advancements in AI voice technology allow businesses to choose from several languages and customize their recordings for different regional dialects.
Imagine the positive impact on consumers when they hear familiar regional accents and inflections while interacting with their favorite brands. The future of AI text to speech continues to improve, with some high-quality text-to-speech Voice Avatars indistinguishable from human voice actors.
On Possible Future of AI Voice: Improved Experiences for Accessibility Issues
Additionally, AI voice technology helps outside media and advertising to bridge accessibility gaps for consumers across all demographics.
Covid-19 Accessibility Acceleration
At the outset of COVID-19, consumers were required to quarantine and businesses quickly adapted their communication methods. Many companies began using AI voice technology, intelligent conversational agents, voice assistants, and chatbots to answer customer service inquiries, screen symptoms, share information, and ensure consumer needs were met promptly. Then, after quarantine restrictions lifted, many companies continued using AI voice recordings to cater to user preferences, maintain customer satisfaction, and reduce demands on their staff.
Disabled and Elderly Individuals
Fortunately, the future of AI voice technology also makes daily activities more accessible for disabled and elderly individuals. Voice commands through home devices like Echo Dot and Google Nest allow users to control appliances, lights, and security systems by speaking. In addition, those who have visual impairment or degenerative muscle diseases can use text-to-speech features to communicate with anyone in their contact list.
AI Virtual Assistants
AI Virtual Assistants understand voice commands and perform tasks based upon the user’s native language. Many companies are replacing human recordings with high-quality AI voice technology. For instance, collaborative AI voice and Virtual Assistant technology can read text aloud to users and dictate speech. In addition, phone usage while driving is illegal in several states; thus, AI voice software now allows users to identify phone numbers, make phone calls, and navigate directions through voice — no hands necessary.
Concerns with the Future of AI Voice
As the quality of AI voice technology improves and new advances are made accessible to the public, new concerns naturally arise.
Privacy Issues
For one, privacy issues arise as AI voice technology becomes accessible to the public. As an example, some financial scammers attempt to lure unsuspecting victims into handing over personal information. Because banks and credit card companies often confirm information before transferring consumers to a customer service representative, scammers have copied credible scripts and made false calls to unsuspecting victims, who then unassumingly hand over sensitive information.
As with all new technology, great power requires great responsibility. In order to avoid this, ensure you are interacting with a legitimate phone number or website, and avoid giving sensitive information over the phone.
Deep Fakes
A deep fake is a form of synthetic media in which someone’s likeness replace images and videos. Deep fakes can say anything with the help of advanced AI voice technology. They can be used for blackmail to try and falsely incriminate a victim and spread misinformation.
To mitigate this, legitimate text-to-speech platforms like WellSaid Labs only create Voice Avatars from people who have given permission to use their likeness.
The Future Sounds Bright for Voice AI Technology
Even with the occasional privacy and identity threat, the benefits of AI voice technology far outweigh the disadvantages. Businesses can create more cost-effective and engaging user experiences, advertisements, and customer service responses, while consumers are better served with hands-free options, shorter wait times, and personalized experiences.
