In this episode, Teri welcomes Bret Kinsella, the editor and publisher of Voicebot.AI, the top news and commentary site on all things voice and A.I.

Welcome Bret Kinsella!

As someone who has been working in technology since the mid-1990’s, Bret has witnessed how the biggest technologies today – web, mobile and social – evolved. He founded Voicebot.ai in September 2016, after seeing the potential of voice-first technology in interactive voice ads. VoiceBot.ai is now one of the premiere sites for news, research and commentary on the rapidly expanding field of voice technology. When Bret is not speaking at conferences, Bret is hosting the Voicebot.ai podcast.

Below you will find a summary of the important points that we discussed. Enjoy!

What is Voicebot.ai?

Voicebot.ai is a hub for all things to do with voice technology. Bret has built a large community around the website. On the site, you can find voice technology-related research and news. Bret also hosts a podcast of the same the name, where he interviews influencers who are changing the industry. Unlike some other tech blogs, Voicebot takes a more scientific approach to data and research.

What trends have you seen in Canada?

Canadians have embraced smart speakers much faster than Americans. After three years in the US market, only 7% of Americans owned a smart speaker. In Canada, by contrast, where Google Home launched approximately 1 year ago and the Amazon Echo just a few months later, the adoption rate was at 8%. Ie. 8% in less than a year in Canada, compared to 7% in 3 years in the US. 

How is market share going to play into all of this?

It’s hard to predict how market share is going to shift. What we can see, though, is that market share is diversifying more quickly as new companies come up with new smart speakers. In the US, as of the end of 2016, the Echo (which at that time had been in the market for about a year) had 93% market share; the second place position at 7% was held by Google Home, which had launched just two months earlier.

Things are shifting more quickly here in Canada. For example, just this last quarter, Google Home ended with 63% market share and Amazon with 30%. (There is a 7% overlap made up of people who own both Google Home and the Echo.) This is largely attributed to the fact that Google Home was available in Canada before Amazon Alexa, but now that Alexa is available these market shares are shifting rapidly.

How is voice technology going to change in the future?

As voice technology gains traction and people are seeing it pop culture, YouTube, social media, etc., people are buying more smart speakers. While the first wave of adopters might have been a niche market, the market will expand quickly into different age groups and families. As the market diversifies, smart assistants like Alexa will get smarter and develop specific skills tailored for those new people.

Where is voice technology going?

When thinking about voice technology, it’s good to keep in mind that this is a new interface. Just like the iPhone did away with the keyboard, voice will do away with touch.

Voice is unbounded.

Voice technology is still defining itself, and, in 5 to 10 years, we’ll likely see it disrupting all sectors in all industries in one way or another.  

List of resources mentioned in this episode:

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