With the evolution of the Google Assistant and the explosion of smart speakers, there’s no doubt Google has learned a thing or two about voice technology. The Mountain View-based search giant learned a lot about how it can serve people better through voice.
A lot of that knowledge is going back into Assistant to make it better.
One insight Google gleaned over the roughly two years Assistant has been available: voice is about action. According to Google, spoken commands are 40 times more likely to be action-oriented than search.
The search giant thinks this is because voice is easier when on the go. It’s the difference between saying “send a text” and pulling out your phone to type it. It’s a little thing, but it’s fast and natural.
However, voice is also conversational. Compared to search, Assistant queries are 200 times more conversational.
On top of that, people communicate in different ways and simple commands can take all manner of forms. Google says people ask Assistant to set alarms in over 5,000 unique ways.
As much as voice is important, visuals are important too, says Google. There are some things that just can’t be communicated through voice.
Google cites this as one of the main factors behind the launch of Smart Displays.
Furthermore, Google notes that voice is a universal way to connect.
Elderly, children, emerging markets all use Assistant easily. This makes voice a great way for users to access technology.
Insights like these help drive how Google shapes Assistant. The search giant wants Assistant to be the go-to interaction for people. Want to look something up? Assistant. Send a text? Assistant. Get direction? Assistant.
All these things contribute to the development of better voice technology, says Google.
Source: Google
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