In a new report, eMarketer declares the use of voice assistants has reached a “critical mass.”
Voice assistant use in 2019 is up 9.5% over last year. By comparison, the use of voice assistants grey 27% in 2018 and 24% in 2017.
So voice assistant use is still growing, but at a more modest pace than in previous years.
It’s estimated that 111.8 million people in the US will use a voice assistant at least monthly this year. That represents 39.4% of US internet users and 33.8% of the overall population.
By 2021 it’s expected that the number of US voice assistant users will reach 122.7 million, which represents 36.6% of the US population.
To no surprise, more people are using voice assistants on smartphones compared to smart speakers. However, the use of voice assistants on smart speakers is on the rise.
eMarketer estimates that 77 million users in the US will use smart speakers this year. That number is expected to grow to 88 million in 2021.
According to a study conducted last year, people who who own smart speakers frequently utilize the built-in voice assistant.
The study says 32% of people own a smart speaker, and 71% of those people use voice commands every day.
Looking ahead, integration with more devices is what will fuel voice assistant growth in the coming years.
Voice assistants continue to be integrated with other technology such as cars, wearables, connected TVs, appliances, and other smart home devices.
The most common tasks performed by voice assistants include getting directions, making phone calls, listening to music, and finding nearby stores.
