How to make the best of your voice-based AI assistants

And now that AI-powered experiences are increasingly ubiquitous, voice-based AI assistants are emerging as transformative tools, redefining how humans interact with machines. Unlike their chat-based counterparts, voice-enabled AI assistants like ChatGPT Voice by OpenAI, Copilot Voice by Microsoft, and Gemini Live by Google are designed to streamline communication, offering hands-free, natural, and more intuitive interactions.

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While both voice-based AI assistants and AI chatbots utilize natural language processing (NLP) to understand and respond to user requests, their interaction methods differ significantly. Chatbots rely on text-based input and output, confining users to a typed interface (pretty much like a typical web search, only better). While effective for precise tasks and complex problem-solving, typing queries can be cumbersome, especially in dynamic or hands-free scenarios. That obvious distinction aside, the new-gen assistants are designed to engage in more dynamic and nuanced conversations (upping the ante from what was possible with older voice assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alex, and Google Assistant). They can interpret the subtleties of human speech, including tone, inflection, and emotion, allowing for more contextually aware and personalized responses. This capability enables them to provide more engaging and human-like interactions compared to chatbots.

Spoilt for voice

Let’s take a look at the major options today:

ChatGPT Voice: Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT Voice builds on the text-based capabilities of ChatGPT, adding a robust voice interaction layer. It boasts of exceptional conversational fluency, multi-language support for global audiences, and is adaptable to creative, technical, or casual contexts. That said, unlike offerings from Google and Microsoft, which have the advantage of the ubiquitous footprint of their products and services, ChatGPT offers limited integration with other apps/services.

Copilot Voice: Microsoft’s Copilot Voice is tailored for maximizing productivity, leveraging its deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, including Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 applications like Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, etc. So, it excels in productivity tasks, such as composing emails, creating presentations, and managing calendars, making it a great choice for knowledge workers in professional environments.

Gemini Live: Google’s Gemini Live represents a comprehensive approach, integrating Google services like Search and Maps and Gemini’s multimodal advancements combining voice and visual input to provide more comprehensive and contextually relevant responses. Additionally, since it’s baked into Android smartphones and is a progression from Google Assistant, it also brings in a lot of traditional smart assistant features as well as smart home integration.

Selecting the ideal voice-based AI assistant depends on your individual needs and preferences. Here are a few factors to consider:

Functionality: Determine the tasks you want the assistant to perform. If your primary need is hands-free convenience for everyday tasks, a general-purpose assistant like ChatGPT Voice or Gemini Live might suffice. If you require advanced productivity features, Copilot Voice might be a better choice. It also stands out for its deep enterprise integration.

Ecosystem: Consider the devices and platforms you use regularly. Copilot Voice seamlessly integrates with Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 suite of services while Gemini leverages Google’s suite of services, including Google Workplace. Choose an assistant that aligns with your existing technology stack.

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Also, be mindful that all AI tools collect and process your data, so privacy is a crucial consideration. Research each assistant’s privacy policy and data handling practices, and the options available to you. If you are using these assistants —chat or voice—at work, make sure that their privacy policies align with your organization’s protocols.

Make the best of them

The versatility of voice-based AI assistants lends them to a wide range of applications across various domains, especially where their conversational abilities enhance efficiency, accessibility, and user experience, such as:

Learning: Whether it’s learning a language, understanding a complex topic, researching a historic event, or troubleshooting a hardware problem at home, voice-based AI assistants transcend the limitations of passive learning—whether via textbooks or online articles or YouTube explainers or myriad learning apps. They allow you to engage in spontaneous conversations to learn about the topic and even practice your skills—adapting to your individual needs and providing a tailored guidance. It’s like having a personal tutor who is always available to help you navigate the intricacies of a new topic or language.

Creativity: As a professional writer, I used to scoff at the idea of using generative AI services for writing content. However, once I explored the new voice-based AI assistants, I’ve realized that these can aid the creative process of writers, designers, and musicians—suggesting outlines, a starting draft, or a key input helping them overcome their creative block and refine their ideas to spark their imagination.

Productivity: When you’re at work, voice assistants can streamline workflows and boost productivity. They can automate tasks such as scheduling appointments, sending emails, and taking notes, freeing up valuable time for more strategic endeavours. They can also integrate with your productivity apps and knowledge graph to help you process information, derive insights, and surface action items better.

Talking: A voice-based assistant can, of course, talk. But they can also serve as companions in a safe space—as a sounding board to bounce off ideas or vet a strategy or as an attentive ear to process your emotions or clarify your thoughts. And, of course, they can tell jokes, play music, and even engage in casual conversation, combating loneliness and promoting mental well-being.

The road ahead

As voice-based AI continues to evolve, several trends and opportunities will emerge. Future iterations will bring in enhanced personalization. Multimodal integration—combining voice, text, and visual inputs— will unlock richer, more versatile interactions. Additionally, we’ll also see industry-specific use-cases with custom solutions tailored for individual industry sectors, like healthcare or retail. As these technologies mature, addressing privacy, accuracy, and ethical considerations will be crucial to unlocking their full potential, along with building integrations with myriad third-party devices and a slew of services that we use every day. Voice-based AI assistants represent a leap forward in human-machine interaction. By transitioning from text to voice, these tools are reshaping personal and professional landscapes, offering unprecedented convenience and versatility. With continued innovation, voice assistants are poised to become indispensable allies in the digital age, enhancing convenience and optimizing productivity.