Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2023. Read them in this 15th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
SoundHound Makes Six Tech Predictions for 2023
By Zubin Irani, Chief Revenue Officer,
SoundHound
The new year is upon us, and as we look ahead the SoundHound team have made six predictions about how AI and voice technology will make an impact in 2023.
Here’s our list:
1. Advanced voice
technology
Prediction: In 2023, voice technology will take a big step forward, with dynamic new interfaces that enable truly conversational two-way exchanges with users. In the same way the iPhone’s touch screen revolutionized smartphones, next generation voice interactions will be real-time and full duplex, and therefore more natural and effortless. After all, voice is the original and most human way of communicating.
2. Predictability/proactive
suggestion
Prediction: This year, a new kind of conversational AI will be breaking away from the awkward pauses and turn-taking that can make voice interfaces feel robotic. Voice AI will also be more proactive, noting the context of a situation and using it to make helpful suggestions. The test ground for this technology will be the restaurant space, and as it transitions from the lab to the drive thru we’ll see that it’s ready for broad commercialization. Particularly in industries battling labor challenges and inflation – like restaurants.
3. ESG + AI
Prediction: Ethics and responsible AI will continue to dominate the conversation, and we’ll see increased efforts to reduce bias in consumer-facing technologies. Voice technology will continue to become more sophisticated and more inclusive, with fewer query fails based on accents and other acoustic nuances. It will also expand to include more languages so that more users can enjoy great voice experiences in their native tongue.
4. Economic turbulence
+ AI
Prediction: With continued macroeconomic uncertainty still clearly on the horizon, business will increasingly focus on ways to do more with less. This means there will be greater focus on automation, continued adoption of artificial intelligence and, in particular, higher usage of conversational voice technologies to better engage consumers, streamline operations and reduce overall costs.
5. Privacy + Big Tech
Prediction: Consumer concern around data transparency will continue to be a priority for brands that can no longer afford to ignore the issue. Consequently, we’ll see an increase in smart device and IoT manufacturers turning to embedded edge processing to keep more interactions on the device – and private. Additionally, in voice technology we'll see brands and manufacturers moving towards fully-owned voice AI solutions that allow them to take control of consumer data so they can communicate transparently rather than leaving its handling to Big Tech players.
6. Predictive Analytics
Prediction: As the workplace adoption of voice AI increases, businesses will begin using real-time, raw data from consumer interactions to inform more efficient decision-making and improve customer service. Call centers will use intelligent transcription services to tag salient topics and identify intent “live” during natural conversation, and then combine this with predictive analytics to suggest best next steps to human agents.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zubin
Irani, SoundHound Chief Revenue Officer
As Chief Revenue Officer, Zubin is leading SoundHound’s revenue organization across marketing and sales and is responsible for fast-tracking the company’s growth and scalability for rapid global expansion. Zubin brings two decades of organizational growth experience and a passion for expanding teams and growing revenue over a short period of time. Previously, Zubin was CEO of Cprime, Inc., where he led a tenfold revenue increase in less than seven years. Before Cprime, Zubin served as DIRECTV’s youngest Director in its eCommerce business unit. He earned his two MBAs concurrently from Columbia University and University of California Berkeley.