AI is revolutionizing voice interaction: the dawn of a new technological era
It is increasingly common to find ourselves controlling and communicating with machines using our voice. This behavioral shift in how we interact with our most valuable and powerful tools has profound implications for our relationship with technology and many aspects of society at large.
This recent evolution towards a voice-controlled world has greatly accelerated with the arrival of generative AI and large language models. Rather than the stilted and often frustrating conversations we’re used to having with machines like Alexa or Siri, generative AI offers naturally fluid, context-aware two-way communications.
Author and WillowTree President Tobias Dengel has carefully considered these implications. In his recent book The Sound of the Future – The Coming Era of Voice TechnologyDengel explores how the world is likely to change as the last technical barriers to programming and controlling machines crumble.
Why is voice so transformational?
Dengel argues that the change in how we communicate with machines has much broader implications than just allowing us to have conversations with machines.
The more contextual and fluid nature of natural language means we will use technology much more effectively and it will become much more accessible to more people.
During our conversation, he told me: “Human beings can speak three times as fast as they can type on a keyboard – probably five times as fast as the average person can type on a mobile device… that’s the central idea.
“I guarantee you that when you take something that took three minutes and now you can do it in 15 seconds, the world is going to change overnight.”
His position is that the world is about to move very quickly toward a model in which voice is our primary interface with machines. In other words, for complex machine operations – like computer programming – we no longer need to learn the machines’ language because they will simply speak ours.
Accessibility is a major issue here. The shift to voice will democratize technology, meaning a wider and more diverse range of individuals will be able to implement complex systems to solve problems. Dengel’s position is that it’s not just about convenience; it is a fundamental change in our relationship with technology.
As he puts it: “You’re going to see all the interfaces between humans and machines move to voice first. »
Voice in Action
Throughout his book – and our conversation – Tobias gives examples of how this change is already happening.
Of course, this includes the voice assistants we all have in our homes and on our phones, but he makes it clear that this trend will go well beyond Alexa and Siri.
One of his favorite examples is Cathay Pacific, which he says has implemented natural language technology into a help desk tool designed to make routine aircraft maintenance and cleaning easier.
“They now have a voice that says, ‘Hey, seat 13C has a broken armrest,’ when they’re doing their thing.”
It also highlights voice control technology developed for military aircraft and now deployed in civil aviation.
“The accidents all happened because the pilots didn’t know what the plane was doing and couldn’t interact with it – if they had a voice telling them, you know, turn off the autopilot, do XYZ, go -y, whatever it was, it would have prevented these accidents.
As an example of how this could revolutionize everyday technologies, he suggests that banking apps will improve dramatically when users simply ask for what they want and get results rather than scrolling through hundreds of possible functions on a small screen .
He also mentions a WillowTree customer – a large soft drink manufacturer – who created voice systems allowing them to simply order replacement parts for any of their machines or dispensers in vending machines or restaurants with their voice. . This saves hours that were previously spent searching catalogs for location and item codes.
Ethics and challenges
It is difficult to overstate the impact this change is likely to have on society. One of the biggest questions concerns its implications for human jobs and employment.
“Everything shows us that there will be more jobs,” says Dengel, “but there will be disruptions.
“And I think that’s where political decisions, government, needs to step in and provide support.”
The roles most obviously under threat, he says, are call center operators, already made redundant by conversational AI tools.
But this will be offset, he argues, not only by the supposed new jobs such as “speed engineer” that will be created, but also by the multitude of ways in which we will be able to create value through AI .
Equally serious are the security issues raised. We have already seen fraudsters and blackmailers using AI voice spoofing. There is a real risk that these attacks will grow in scale as AI becomes cheaper and more accessible, leading to more victims.
However, Dengel isn’t so worried about the more outlandish concerns that are sometimes raised.
He says: “People talk about AI going on a rampage and fighting humans… It doesn’t worry me much, at least in our lifetime.
“ChatGPT is great, but it can’t even change your mailing address for your American Express card right now because it’s not connected to the system. But it can be used quite effectively for evil.
Preparing for the future of voice
So what can we do to ensure we’re ready for this universal transition to voice-enabled technology and natural language conversations with machines?
Dengel suggests the answer lies in meeting the challenge head on. This means bringing together teams of technologists, engineers, designers, communications experts and business leaders. Their primary purpose is to identify potential opportunities and risks to the business, allowing them to be managed proactively rather than reactively.
“It’s always the first step,” he says, “because you start to define what’s possible, but you also do it in the context of what’s realistic because you also involve your technicians…and then you establish a roadmap. .”
It’s a “workshop” approach pioneered by Apple and adopted by various tech giants who have found themselves at the forefront of an emerging wave of transformation. But it also applies to almost any forward-looking business or organization that doesn’t want to be caught off guard.
Dengel says that speaking recently to a group of interns, he told them: “I wish I was in your shoes – the next five years will be more innovative than there have been in the last five or maybe -be from the last 20 years, as conversational AI and generative AI come together. It’s just an incredible experience and a great time.