Speech recognition softwareOpens a new window will soon become as common in the workplace as computers and telephones, according to a new report by Gartner.
The research body’s 2018 “Hype cycle for the digital workplace†report claims voice-activated software will reach the “plateau of productivity†– ready for mainstream adoption – within two years. It predicts that employees will organize their work, dictate messages and replies to emails by speaking directly into a computer, displacing typed instructions.
Ready to Make the Call?
But dig a bit deeper into the figures and this could be an optimistic assessment of voice market adoption. Gartner estimates that widespread use of chatbots by companies is just two-to-five years away, but according to Gartner’s 2018 CIO Survey, so far only 4% of organizations have deployed conversational AI, although a further 38% are set to implement the technology.
However, the chatbots still have much to prove as an effective aid for customer service: Customers still prefer humans, with bots lacking empathy and only able to answer specific subject queries. Existing bots often escalate customer service enquiries to humans, thus canceling out any edge.
A recent innovation by AI-powered digital assistant company Clinc is the voice-enabled ordering system for drive-thru restaurantsOpens a new window . This limited, single-use application is perfectly suited to chatbots, as both menu and language are concise. At the same time, the adoption of a measure of personality that aligns the bot’s interactions with the brand is an important goal in implementing any chatbot. A purely transactional bot is more than likely to alienate consumers.
Learning the Ropes
The AI industry insists it can crack the teething problems with chatbots. Like any form of AI, the bots require on-the-job training, listening to interactions and observing how they are handled by humans. It can take time for them to learn. Call center owners say their chatbot tests are still at the very early stage.
Whether or not preparations are complete, Gartner states that the adoption of speech recognition technology to boost workplace productivity is set for launch, and that groundwork is already being laid. “Speech-to-text applications have proliferated due to the adoption of chatbots and virtual personal assistants (VPAs) by businesses and consumer adoption of devices with speech interactions including smartphones, gaming consoles and VPA speakers,†said Gartner analyst Matthew Cain.
Trust Issues
In 2017, the launch of Alexa for Business was expected to bolster the use of speech recognition in the workplace. The software enabled office workers to use Echo smart speakers to set up meetings, book conference rooms and manage their calendars, but privacy and security Opens a new window concerns have hampered uptake.
Many companies are wary of sharing information in the product’s vicinity: The prospect of having a voice-activated speaker present during sensitive discussions about strategies and plans may simply prove insurmountable. The Echo speaker is constantly listening out for commands, though Amazon claims it is only activated by the word “Alexa.†Accidental activation is possible, and though unverified, stories of unintended useOpens a new window have been reported.
Amazon stores recordings of conversations to study them and improve the abilities of the chatbot, and plans to share some of those conversations with third party developers, increasing the risk of confidential corporate information leaks. The risk of hacks to expose sensitive corporate information also remains a plausible concern.
The rise and widespread use of smartphones and tablets for work triggered similar concerns about security and privacy, with companies uneasy about the substantial threats they posed to corporate security and privacy. The Bring Your Own Device movement, where staff use their own devices for work, has become an unstoppable trend.
The uptake of voice-led technology in the workplace may also depend on how it is adopted in the consumer market. Alexa and the Echo speaker have had considerable success over the past two years, although still may become a technological dud as people test out new gadgets. But if the chatbots become embedded in our everyday lives, they are likely to assume a similarly central role in the workplace.