Voice Controls: The Tech Skeptic’s Rebuttal

Resistance to Voice Control: Is the Future of Tech Really the Voice of the Future?

As I’m told to start saying "Hey Gemini," I’m reminded of my resistance to the idea of relying solely on voice control to interact with my tech. I’m not alone in my concerns, and I’m curious to explore the statistics behind voice control use and their implications.

How Many People Really Use Voice Controls?

A 2018 study by PWC found that 32% of voice assistant users ask their devices at least one thing they’d normally use a search engine for daily, with 89% doing so at least once a month. Additionally, Statista claims that almost half of Americans talk to their phones or smart speakers at least semi-regularly, while globally, that figure is about 1 in 5.

However, as I dug deeper, I discovered more discrepancies and biases in the data. It’s crucial to note that some sources rely heavily on product sales and may not accurately reflect the opinions or behavior of the general population.

Voice Control is Getting Better – Slowly

I’ll admit that my usual excuse for disliking voice-controlled tech doesn’t hold as much weight as it used to. With the advent of AI, tools like Apple Intelligence and Google Gemini offer multimodal input, allowing for improved accuracy and adaptation to individual speech patterns.

However, there are still challenges to overcome, such as strong accents, speech impediments, and biases in training data. Accents can throw off voice recognition, and I’ve experienced this myself with my lisp.

Conclusion

While voice control is an essential accessibility feature for many, it’s essential to recognize the limitations and potential biases in the data. I’m not convinced that voice control will revolutionize the way we interact with technology, but I do hope that future advancements will continue to improve the user experience for those who rely heavily on these features. For me, I’ll stick to pressing buttons and tapping screens, thank you very much.