Guess What Will Accelerate AI? Voice. Wait

The Gist:

Behavior is shifting. People are increasingly talking to their devices instead of typing, which makes voice a more natural entry point into AI.
Voice feels normal. Younger generations use voice daily. It’s how they message, search and get help, often without touching a screen.
Frictionless wins. Voice removes steps between intent and action. This makes it easier for people to adopt and rely on AI tools.

While taking my daily walk with Grizzly, my dog, I noticed fewer people looking at their phones and more people talking to them. Whether it’s ChatGPT, Siri or voice notes, we’re watching a shift happen in real time. People are talking their way into AI. Not typing. Not tapping. Talking.

This is a shift in behavior that will accelerate AI adoption, especially in consumer experiences.

Voice Comes Naturally to the Next Generation
People Want to Talk to Their Tech
Voice Speeds Up AI Use
Voice Features Are Already Part of Daily Life
What This Means for Business Leaders
How to Start Using Voice in Your Products
Voice Can’t Be an Afterthought
Voice Is Becoming the Front Door to AI

Voice Comes Naturally to the Next Generation

Younger generations are already comfortable using voice as a primary interface. Voice-to-text isn’t just a convenience; it’s often their default. It’s faster, more natural and hands-free. My two teenage kids sit on the couch talking to their phones, which instantly translates into messages for their friends. They also ask Alexa to help with their homework.

That same comfort is showing up in how they use AI. I’ve seen friends activate ChatGPT by voice while walking, biking or cooking. They’re not waiting for the perfect desktop setup. They're engaging in the flow of their daily lives. That’s the power of voice; it lowers the barrier to entry.

People Want to Talk to Their Tech

A recent Iris Flex AI Gap Study found that while only 18% of U.S. adults trust AI-driven advertising, a staggering 80% of U.S. employees are interested in AI training at work. The curiosity is there, but the experience has to meet them where they are.

And, increasingly, where they are is voice-enabled. According to the study, 37% of users want to command apps via voice; 56% prefer to speak via car dashboards, 56% via smart home devices and 39% via wearables.

We're moving beyond digital assistants to offer frictionless access to tasks, content and commerce. This becomes especially important in moments when typing or swiping isn't practical.

Voice Speeds Up AI Use

Voice is likely to speed up AI adoption because it offers a frictionless user experience that has no learning curve and that anyone who can speak can use. It fits easily into daily routines like driving, walking or cooking, which helps make it a habit. Voice can also shorten the time between discovering something and purchasing it; for example, a listener might hear a podcast host say, “Say ‘Order now’ to get 10% off.”

Finally, because voice doesn’t rely on screens, it can make AI more accessible to people who might never engage with a screen-first experience.

Voice Features Are Already Part of Daily Life

Voice has become a quiet part of daily life, until you realize just how often people are using it. Alexa and other smart homes allow users to control lights, music and thermostats with simple voice commands; for example, Philips Hue integrates with Alexa to offer seamless lighting control. In cars, Google Assistant lets drivers navigate, send texts or find the closest Starbucks without taking their hands off the wheel. Combining Google Maps with voice commands helps reduce distractions and increase safety.

Laurence Minsky ‘s book, Voice Marketing: Harnessing the Power of Conversational AI to Drive Customer Engagement provides tips for marketers on how to integrate voice into their programs.

What This Means for Business Leaders

If you're building digital products (especially B2C), voice is no longer optional. It’s time to ask questions like, can users complete core tasks in your app using voice? Are your AI features voice-activated or screen-dependent? How could voice reduce friction in your customer journey?

Voice-first experiences can strengthen customer engagement, particularly in industries like retail, travel, hospitality and healthcare.

How to Start Using Voice in Your Products

Here are some steps to get started with voice experiences:

First, pilot smart speaker integration; explore Alexa Skills or Google Assistant Actions.
Then, add voice commands to mobile apps; many software development kits now support this natively.
Next, train your AI models to understand spoken language; NLP and context-aware design are key.
Finally, test voice features in real-world settings. Think kitchens, cars, gyms, not just desktops.

Related Article: The Impact of Smart Tech on Customer Demands

Voice Can’t Be an Afterthought

Typing is starting to feel slow. Voice is becoming the default for simple tasks and even more advanced ones. Just look at Alexa. Amazon is transforming it into a more advanced AI agent, called Alexa+, powered by generative AI.

Key features of Alexa+ include more natural and open-ended conversations, which enhances conversations. It also helps manage tasks like home security, making reservations, discovering music and shopping. The system can coordinate services by controlling smart home devices, scheduling appointments and placing orders. Over time, Alexa+ learns from user behavior to offer suggestions that feel more personalized and relevant.

Of course, Amazon’s faced challenges (i.e., latency, hallucinations, reliability), but they’re pushing forward.

Voice Is Becoming the Front Door to AI

Voice isn’t replacing screens, but it’s becoming the front door to AI. It’s more natural, more accessible and faster to adopt. Companies that lean into this shift will realize new engagement models and meet users where they already are.

Before I sign off, I wanted to mention: this article was written on a stationary bike.

After Idil Cakim, the founder and CEO of Iris Flex and the author of the research cited above, shared her findings with me, I went to the gym and sat on the stationary bike. While I was peddling away, I dictated the key points I remembered into ChatGPT on my iPhone. I then asked ChatGPT to generate a rough draft of the article, ran it through Claude for edits and finally emailed it to myself to review after I got off the bike. Using voice is already more efficient than texting.

Learning Opportunities

Webinar