054 - Will You Use One Voice Assistant or Many? Dave Kemp and Katherine Prescott

TL;DR

The Voice Interoperability Initiative aims to ensure that voice-activated devices can work with multiple digital assistants simultaneously, leading to higher-quality voice experiences and potentially encouraging brands to create their own voice assistants. There may be a middle ground between using just one assistant and multiple assistants, and brands like the BBC are already creating their own mini assistants for better user data access. The future could involve an assistant store, where users can enable different assistants and access various services. Devices like Echo Buds and Echo Frames could further enhance the voice-first experience, potentially reducing our reliance on smartphones.

Transcript

on the you know more Amazon approach what we're starting to see you know and I think this will become more apparent with Beebe is this idea that you as the user are somewhat aware that Alexa kind of represents almost like an app store for you for Monday October 14th 2019 this is episode 54 will you use one voice assistant or many Dave Kemp and Kath... Read More

Key Insights

• 💦 The Voice Interoperability Initiative promotes the development of voice-activated devices that work with multiple digital assistants simultaneously.
• 👤 Brands are considering creating their own voice assistants to have more control over user data and provide personalized experiences.
• 👤 The BBC's Beebe is an example of a brand creating a mini assistant to collect valuable user data for better content recommendations.
• 👻 An assistant store concept could emerge, allowing users to enable different assistants for specific tasks or services.
• 📱 Devices like Echo Buds and Echo Frames offer on-the-go voice access and may reduce our reliance on smartphones for certain tasks.
• 👤 The future of voice technology could involve a blend of main assistants and mini assistants, providing users with a more tailored experience.
• 🪡 Brands need to consider the benefits and limitations of creating their own voice assistants based on their industry, customer needs, and investment capabilities.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does the Voice Interoperability Initiative impact brands' voice strategies?

The initiative encourages brands to create their own voice assistants, providing more control over user data and offering a more personalized experience. Brands can directly engage with users and bypass limitations imposed by platforms like Amazon or Google.

Q: What is the potential of brands creating their own mini assistants, like Beebe from the BBC?

By creating their own voice assistants, brands can collect meaningful user data to improve content recommendations and enhance the user experience. Mini assistants allow brands to have a direct relationship with users and provide more tailored services.

Q: Could there be a middle ground between using just one voice assistant and multiple voice assistants?

Yes, there could be a middle ground where users have a main voice assistant, such as Alexa, that serves as a central hub for accessing different mini assistants. The main assistant acts as a facilitator, connecting users to various specialized assistants for specific tasks or services.

Q: How do devices like Echo Buds and Echo Frames fit into the voice-first future?

Devices like Echo Buds and Echo Frames offer on-the-go voice access and reduce reliance on smartphones. Users can interact with voice assistants and access various services, such as music or podcasts, without needing to pull out their phones. These devices enhance the voice-first experience and may change how we interact with technology.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Voice Interoperability Initiative aims to make voice-activated devices work with multiple digital assistants simultaneously, leading to improved voice experiences.

• Brands may choose to create their own voice assistants for better user data access and to offer a more personalized experience.

• The BBC is developing its own voice assistant, Beebe, to collect meaningful user data and improve content recommendations.

• The future could involve an assistant store, where users can enable different assistants for specific tasks or services.

• Devices like Echo Buds and Echo Frames could reduce our reliance on smartphones by providing on-the-go voice access to services.