1950s-1960s: Early speech recognition systems, such as IBM's Shoebox and Bell Labs' Audrey, are developed. The first speech recognition systems were focused on numbers, not words. It was in 1952, Bell Laboratories introduced Audrey which could recognize a single voice speaking digits aloud. Ten years later, IBM gave the world “Shoebox” which understood and responded to 16 words in English.



1970s-1980s: The development of the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) algorithm significantly improves speech recognition capabilities.


1990s-2000s: Increased computing power and the advent of the internet lead to the development of more advanced voice recognition systems, including Dragon Naturally Speaking and early voice-activated virtual assistants.

2010s-present: The rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning enables the creation of sophisticated voice AI systems, such as Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, and Google Assistant.

2022 and beyond: The launch of Microsoft Open AI’s Chat GPT has the potential to enhance voice AI systems by improving their ability to understand complex queries and respond in a more human-like way. It can also enable the creation of more personalized and natural interactions with virtual assistants, leading to increased user engagement and satisfaction.

As voice AI technology continues to evolve, its potential impact on various industries becomes increasingly apparent. These are some of the future scenarios which could unfold.

Local and central government: Voice AI has the potential to streamline public service delivery, enabling efficient communication with residents, automating routine tasks, and providing instant access to essential information. This technology can help reduce wait times, improve accessibility, and optimize resource allocation, ultimately enhancing overall resident satisfaction and trust in government services.

Healthcare: Voice AI could revolutionize the way patients and healthcare professionals interact, streamlining appointment scheduling, medication reminders, and remote monitoring of patient health.

Retail and e-commerce: Voice AI-powered shopping assistants could help customers find products, compare prices, and complete purchases, providing a more personalized and convenient shopping experience.

There is a very interesting area where voice AI is making ‘sound’ progress. In Forensics and Criminal Identification.

One of the more surprising trends in voice recognition is using this technology to help identify criminals. If a voice recording exists of a crime suspect, the audio can now be used as important evidence. Currently, there is a collaboration between AGNITIO, a leader in voice biometrics and Morpho (Safran) that brings Voice ID technology into the forensics industry. Thanks to this product, voice biometrics technology can now be used all over the world (in conjunction with fingerprints and other methods) to help identify subjects and perform background verification. This technology can match recorded or live voices in just seconds, and it has a very high accuracy rate of 99%. In addition, voice recognition doesn’t discriminate between different accents or different languages. It measures the sound of a person’s voice, not the words or language they use. So, this is a helpful technology for solving crimes all over the world.

If you had to point out one distinguishing trait of a confident person, what would it be? One would answer - a sense of authority and certainty in what they say. These qualities are best reflected not only through body language but also speech.

AI is helping.

Machine learning algorithms can be used to analyze vocal patterns and identify areas where pitch could be improved. AI-powered pitch correction software can be used to automatically adjust a voice to a desired pitch, allowing users to achieve a more expressive and natural-sounding delivery. AI-powered vocal modulators can be used to change the timbre and inflection of a voice, allowing users to add more expression and emotion to their delivery. AI-powered language models can be used to analyze the emotional content of a message and suggest pitch changes to better convey the intended emotion. Overall, artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool for helping people to refine their pitch and express themselves more effectively through their voice, giving them a boost in confidence.

By 2024, the number of voice-enabled devices worldwide will equal the global human population. By 2030, the global voice assistant market will reach over $14 billion - up from $1.5 billion in 2020.