Voice-powered user interfaces will never get even a fraction of the adoption for commerce that the humble but ubiquitous mouse and keyboard command today.
Quote from Stephen Taylor, SVP of enterprise at Sojern, in an article on PhocusWire this week.
Dwindling blockchain hype, the stagnation of voice and more travel tech predictions for 2019
To be fair to the skeptics of voice technology, such as Sojern’s Stephen Taylor, qualifications are given for their doubts by saying “never” might be wrong and really it’s about consumer acceptance of the technology.
In much the same way as internet booking took time to take off, or the introduction of credit card payments, there is an adoption curve from the discovery phase to mass adoption and steps in the middle.
Parts of that curve are the quirky shopping lists and family quizzes that voice is enabling today in consumer homes.
In travel, as in other industries, there are challenges for the technology.
Trust is a significant hurdle and one that was raised during The Phocuswright Conference in Los Angeles during a session with financial analysts, as they discussed Google and its recently announced launch of hotels bookings on the Google Assistant.
There are also privacy issues around "always listening" devices and potential security challenges with technology breaches - a factor very much in the minds of the industry currently following the Marriott hack.
That said, many travel companies are exploring the technology - and have been for some time.
Skyscanner was one of the first to dip a toe in the water with its Alexa "skill" back in 2015, and just this week Germany-based charter airline SunExpress claimed a first with its voice-enabled flight booking service via a partnership with InterRES.
While voice-powered services in travel haven’t taken off yet, there is still huge potential - not least because using our voices is cross-generational and remains one of the most natural communication devices we have when we engage with others.
Members of Generation Z (and younger) are already talking to their devices for search queries and more. Older generations meanwhile find it harder to constantly type in information to small devices or look at miniature screens, so voice will also be a real positive for them.
In technology terms we’re not far away from saying "buy more..." to a washing machine, fridge or other device, rather than pushing an Amazon Dash button.
And, there are lots of jobs out there where voice is really helpful - quick online consultations with doctors is one example.
It's entirely also possible that we're on our way to a backlash against small screens anyway. For road warriors in particular, voice as been positioned as a far more efficient means of carrying out task whilst on the go.
While it’s usually leisure travel interfaces that catch on in business travel, it might just be the other way round this time. Or, it could just be something that’s gaining momentum across age groups and segments anyway.
Think how easy it will be to just say “inspire me” or “find me a cheap escape” to your device as you travel home from work in a blustery, cold January in the northern hemisphere.
So, it’s probably not “never”; it will just take a bit of time to get there in the same way as the move from typewriters to keyboards and on to touchscreens did. They were seen as clunky or unnatural but caught on as their benefits become apparent.
Human behavior is adaptable, and often learns very quickly to new techniques. Voice-enabled services will be another of those moments in the evolution of digital.