The Voice Assistant Revolution: How Google Home and Alexa Are Changing How We Live

The Origins of Voice Assistants

Before getting into how voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, are impacting society, it’s important to understand the history. After all, the majority of people didn’t have voice assistants in their homes until the last ten years. So, they must be recent advents, right?

Well, what becomes abundantly clear when appraising the history of voice assistants is that they are the culmination of over a half-century of work and over a half-century of vision. Because, ultimately, they’re supposed to change the world. Which is exactly what they’re doing.  

The First Voice Assistants

When considering the effects of Amazon Alexa on society, it’s important to understand that this technology isn’t new. In fact, it’s easy to assume that the first smart home technology was introduced to the world in 2010 when Siri published its first mobile app.

The truth is, however, the history of voice assistants dates back much further to 1961, when IBM presented a new invention, they called “Shoebox.” This magical contraption could perform mathematical functions, and it could recognize 16 spoken words and digits from 0 to 9. 

This was a major step in voice assistant technology, and it’s clear that 60 years ago we were grappling with this technology and envisaging a world of minimum effort. Which, you know, doesn’t sound half bad.

When Was the First Smart Speaker Released? 

From 1962 to now, there have been significant milestones in the development of these smart home systems and technologies, and these developments have changed the way we live forever.

None have been afforded quite the same attention and embrace as smart speakers.

In fact, smart speakers were some of the first smart home appliances that were widely adopted by the public. Alexa was the first smart speaker, released in 2017.

At this point, Alexa is a common household appliance. It’s the nexus of all activity and it enables you to exercise unprecedented control over your home.

What Do the Numbers Say?

There are several key statistics to consider when determining the broad, societal implications of voice assistants. Ultimately, the statistics illustrate their effects.

Firstly, in 2020, there were 4.08 billion devices connected with voice technology. In 2023, it’s projected that this figure will more than double to a staggering 8 billion.

Even more intriguing is the fact that 50% of all Internet searches are now voice-based, and 30% of web browsing is done without using a screen at all. This is truly mind-boggling.

The Bigger Picture

It’s not hard to see how voice assistants are changing our lives. Voice technology enables you to access everything you need hands-free, and in recent years, these assistants have become reliable entities interwoven into the fabric of our lives.

However, voice assistants also have excellent applications for business. From opening documents to printing pages, all of this can now be done by simply speaking these things into existence. Voice assistants have been particularly useful in marketing.

From revolutionizing SEO to enabling companies to have greater insights into prospective clients.

Ultimately, voice assistants have made our lives easier, and that’s exactly what we should expect from the technology we use.

How Voice Assistants Are Impacting Different Sectors

To truly understand how versatile this technology is, and to understand that it’s more than just a tool for you to use around the house, it’s important to understand how voice assistants are being used in different sectors and helping businesses and customers alike flourish.

Firstly, in the healthcare sector, these voice assistants make it easier than ever to capture and access records and analyze data. This saves time and eliminates human error, both of which are crucial in the medical field. For patients, it has equal benefits.

Even in eCommerce and retail, voice assistants have essentially become a prerequisite. This is because they’re a convenient alternative to the conventional keyboard and mouse input method.

Lastly, media and entertainment have been irreversibly changed, too. Voice assistants offer a whole new and easier way to communicate with entertainment devices. Companies are even using voice technology to make characters and stories with custom audio, replicating brand personas.

Now You Know Everything You Need to Know about the Societal Effects of Voice Assistants!

Voice assistants have changed virtually every aspect of our lives for the better.

That’s why you need smart home appliances to work in conjunction with your voice assistant.

Without a voice assistant, your home is all brawn and no brains. And without smart home appliances, your home is all brains and no power.

That’s why smart home products like Maxcio’s are so crucial. They enable you to live smarter. And, by living smarter, they enable you to inhabit happiness.

So, get some Maxcio products, and you’ll see firsthand how they’ll make your happiness grow.