Voice AI adoption is on the rise, and 3 key industries have customers eager for voice experiences that deliver convenience, ease, and efficiency. These industries are in the early majority of voice AI adopters, where major brands are implementing conversational AI experiences in their devices and users are becoming further attuned to a voice-first world. 

We gleaned statistics from two of the latest research reports—Voicebot.ai’s Smart Home Consumer Adoption Report and Vixen Labs’ Voice Consumer Index—to explore trends and insights in 3 top industries where voice AI adoption and usage are reported to be expanding—smart devices, retail, and QSRs. 

According to Vixen Lab’s report, the percentage of people who use voice assistants daily has doubled since last year. Consumers have evolved to expect voice experiences in their regular interactions with the world around them and are looking to voice assistants to make their lives easier. 

While industries adopting voice AI range from early adopters to the late majority, Voicebot.ai and Vixen Labs’ reports showed intriguing insights into 3 specific industries where voice AI technology is being actively invested in by brands and increasingly loved by consumers. 

Dive into why customers are demanding voice experiences for: 

• Smart devices
• Retail
• QSRs

Voice AI smart device adoption is on the rise

Voice-enabled smart home devices offer users convenience, efficiency, and ease of use, with many users anxious to control their devices from a central TV hub, the device itself, or from a mobile app. According to Voicebot.ai’s Smart Home Consumer Adoption Report, 52% of U.S. adults have a smart home device that is not a smart speaker, with 41.3% using voice control on-device, 30.4% controlling devices with their voice from a smartphone, and 60% of smart TV owners using a voice-enabled TV as the hub to control other devices. The variety of possibilities for accessing smart home devices by voice gives users flexibility and the ability to control their smart devices even when away from home. 

While Voicebot.ai’s report shows that smart home adoption is on the rise, there are also some natural constraints to take into account. Major home appliances and TVs are only replaced periodically, which means some adoption could be stalled because of replacement cycles. In addition, according to Pew Research, 36% of U.S. adults rent their homes, which means they will have limited ability to alter the home’s infrastructure with smart devices for thermostats, doorbells, locks, alarms, washing machines, and more. Renters can take advantage of less permanent smart devices, such as coffee machines, vacuums, and security cameras.

Despite these constraints, voice AI smart home adoption continues to rise with a high rate of conversion to monthly active users. Voicebot.ai details how 41.1% of U.S. adults use a voice-enabled smart device monthly while only 29.6% do for smart speakers, showing that smart devices are well ahead of other voice assistants and will continue to grow in the market as voice AI technology’s popularity expands. 

Consumers are relying on voice AI for their shopping needs

Retail has seen an explosion of online shopping in recent years, partly fueled by the pandemic, partly from the rise of mobile apps. Now, the next evolution of retail is with voice AI. From voice-enabled mobile apps to kiosks, consumers are finding voice assistants to be the newest level of convenience, speed, and simplicity to achieve their shopping goals. 

According to Vixen Labs’ Voice Consumer Index, 65% of people say that tracking the location of a package or checking the delivery status of an order are the two most important tasks they would use voice for, and 54% of respondents said that ordering products with voice is a top priority, including tracking packages, delivery statuses, and searching for information about products and services. 

For in-store voice AI kiosks, consumers are increasingly speaking to voice assistants in public and feel at ease while doing so. Vixen Labs revealed that 40% of people in the U.S. are comfortable using voice in public, with 40% using voice at least 2-3 times a week when out shopping and 27% using it daily. As with any new technology, there is a learning curve with user education, and these insights show that consumers are rapidly adapting to asking for what they want via voice AI in their everyday lives for their shopping needs. 

Voice AI is making food ordering easy and efficient

Voice AI food ordering, whether from the car, over the phone, or from a drive-thru, has increased in recent years, with more and more customers becoming fans of the ease of use and accuracy, while restaurants are becoming reliant on superior customer service and 24/7, multiple-orders-at-once capabilities. 

According to Vixen Labs’ Voice Consumer Index, 51% of participants in the U.S. use a voice assistant at least 2-3 times a month in restaurants or cafes, with 23% using it at least once per day, showing that customers are increasingly using voice AI for their food ordering needs. 

Customers are specifically drawn to the benefit of speed, where around half of consumers think using voice search is quicker than text and helps them efficiently find the information they want. Menus can be long and complex, with it taking several moments, types, or swipes for customers to find the name of the menu item they crave. With voice AI food ordering, they can ask for what they want, even if they don’t know exactly what it is called or where it is on the menu, lessening frustration and creating a faster and more seamless ordering experience. 

Voice AI technology is continuing to advance across industries, with smart home devices, retail, and QSRs leading the charge as early adopters of voice AI that are paving the way for increased adoption. According to Vixen Labs, 56% of participants in the U.S. say they are looking forward to seeing how voice assistant tech will develop. The future is bright for voice technology, and companies that want to meet the needs of their customers should consider voice AI.

At SoundHound, we have all the tools and expertise needed to create custom voice assistants and a consistent brand voice. Explore SoundHound’s independent voice AI platform at SoundHound.com or speak with an expert or request a demo below.