Voice assistant technology, such as Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, and Apple’s Siri, has not quite lived up to its potential in recent years, often getting stumped by requests and failing to complete tasks effectively. However, with the rise of AI “agents,” specifically programmed software designed to take action on behalf of users, the technology has the opportunity to become much more useful. The “agentic era,” as Google CEO Sundar Pichai refers to it, is expected to arrive in 2025, enabling voice assistants to act more like personal assistants by booking reservations, handling travel arrangements, and completing various tasks on behalf of users.
The tech industry is currently experiencing a frenzy around AI agents, with over 470 platforms dedicated to the technology, ranging from major tech giants to smaller startups. These agents have the potential to not only revolutionize consumer features but also transform businesses, with applications in customer service and software development. The investment in AI agent startups has increased significantly in recent years, with over $8 billion poured into the space. Startups are expected to compete with established platforms to create more realistic and humanistic voice models that can access the data and execute actions users desire.
Major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon are already investing in advancing their voice assistant technology. Google has its Gemini model, Apple partnered with OpenAI to use ChatGPT for Siri queries, and Amazon has invested $8 billion in Anthropic to enhance its chatbot capabilities. Innovations in voice AI models are expected to drive significant improvements in the functionality and performance of voice assistants. Companies like Play.ai, ElevenLabs, OpenAI, and Google are all working on voice models that are trained on actual voice audio to detect nuances in speech, such as emotional cues and cadence.
While some, like Kanjun Qiu from Imbue, believe that adding more AI to voice assistants will only bring incremental improvements, others see the potential for voice technology to transform how consumers interact with their devices. Improved voice AI could lead to more apps integrating voice features, enabling users to give instructions and carry out actions through natural language understanding. The accessibility of voice-based technology makes it a preferred interface for many people, particularly the younger generation who use voice messages regularly in chat apps. As AI advancements continue, voice tools could become more widely used, changing the way people interact with technology and expanding its accessibility.
Advancements in AI and voice technology also present opportunities for hardware innovation that have not been fully realized. Companies like Google, with its Project Astra glasses, and Facebook’s Orion glasses are combining voice control with AI tools to enhance the user experience. These new technologies could automatically pull up relevant information based on the user’s surroundings or gestures, making technology more accessible and intuitive. Voice-based innovations are poised to unlock new possibilities for interaction with technology and could change the way people engage with their devices in the future.
