From Google Home to Amazon’s Alexa, virus to boost use of virtual assistants and tech, analysts predict

Interest expected to grow in smart home systems including speakers and doorbells as people aim to eliminate personal contact and face-to-face interaction

Business adoption of digital assistants, especially in client-facing areas such as health care, retail and entertainment, likely to accelerate, analyst says

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Digital voice technology is on the rise with more people and businesses expected to turn to voice-activated systems like Google Home (pictured) to limit their contact with commonly touched surfaces. Photo: AP

Published: 8:30pm, 13 May 2020Updated: 8:30pm, 13 May 2020

In a world that’s suddenly fearful of touch, voice technology is getting a fresh look.

Voice-activated systems such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple’s Siri have seen strong growth in recent years, and the virus pandemic could accelerate that, analysts say.

These digital assistants are not only answering queries and shopping, but are also being used for smart home control and for a range of business and medical applications that could see increased interest as people seek to limit their personal contact.

“Voice has already made significant inroads into the smart home space, and voice control can mean avoiding commonly touched surfaces around the home – from smartphones to TV remotes, light switches, thermostats, door handles and more,” says analyst Jonathan Collins of advisory firm ABI Research.

Smart speakers like Google Home could become a far more common feature at places like hotels and other rental properties in the future. Photo: Google

The pandemic is likely to provide “additional motivation and incentive for voice control in the home that will help drive awareness and adoption for a range of additional smart home devices and applications”, Collins says.

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