This year, it’s estimated that 117.7 million people in the US will use voice assistants regularly, up 15.4% from 2018.
Voice assistant use is expected to grow in the UK too as more and more people embrace assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
With so many new, useful features being developed for voice assistants this year, we wouldn’t be surprised if even more people than expected hop on the bandwagon.
Here are seven reasons why we think voice will be huge in 2020.
7 reasons why voice will be huge this year
In-skill purchasing will create the next App Store
Amazon recently launched something called in-skill purchasing, which allows customers to make purchases inside voice applications (called skills) using only their voice.
In-skill purchasing allows app developers to make money from their skills and presents a big opportunity.
Thanks to this feature, we expect to see the number of voice-based games and other skills grow substantially this year. It may even create an ecosystem similar to the App Store.
Companies will push their skills
The Alexa library already has around 70,000 skills.
As that number continues to grow because of in-skill purchasing, app developers will realize they need to promote their skills to get them to catch on.
We expect that companies will devote a much larger portion of their marketing budgets to promoting their skills, especially now that there’s a real opportunity to generate revenue from them.
Voice assistants help with home management
The Drum predicts that all of our smart devices will become more integrated in 2020, and voice assistants will play a key role. People will use ecosystems like Google Now to manage their homes and all of their smart devices, from lights to security cameras to thermostats.
Voice assistants move beyond the home
Voice assistants are no longer limited to the home. Last year they showed up in glasses, and now they’re being integrated with earbuds. Airpods already allow users to access Siri, and Sony’s new Bluetooth earphones will enable users to access Alexa and Google Assistant.
In 2020, you’ll be able to ask Alexa for the weather forecast without even pulling out your phone, which is pretty convenient.
Businesses of all kinds will embrace voice
Businesses will continue to embrace voice in 2020 and find new ways to utilize it.
Soon you’ll be able to use voice to access enterprise data within various applications like Slack. We expect that this will lead to a big increase in voice assistant usage in the workplace.
Businesses like banks and hospitals are also finding new ways to voice. Numerica Credit Union was the first to launch a banking service for Alexa, and other banks may just follow suit this year.
Voice-assisted technology is also being utilized in hospitals and healthcare settings. Some assisted living facilities use Alexa to remind patients to drink water and take their medications. Voice-activated bots like Aiva are even helping clinical staff complete administrative tasks like scheduling and coordinate patient care.
Lots of startups are working on new technologies, so this year we may even see tools that help diagnose patients and educate them about their health conditions.
People are becoming more comfortable with voice
Privacy has been a big concern for many customers when it comes to voice technologies. Some people are worried that Google will record their conversations through assistants like Google Home and violate their privacy.
Google has recently tried to educate consumers on their privacy policies, which we believe will make a difference in how voice assistants are perceived.
Even though some consumers still have privacy concerns, people are becoming more comfortable with voice technologies on the whole, a trend that will likely continue in 2020.
There are some exciting things on the horizon for voice. We anticipate that it will experience a surge in 2020 that will continue through the decade.