SoundHound AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOUN), a global leader in voice artificial intelligence, today announced the results of an independent survey of car owners in the UK, France, and Germany, which found that the vast majority of regular drivers – nearly 4 in 5 – are likely to use a voice assistant with voice generative AI capabilities if available.
“This survey data is consistent with what we’ve been seeing from real drivers using voice generative AI out on the road. Over the last 12 months of deployment, it’s become clear that those early users really see the value”
While most of the drivers surveyed have current access to an in-vehicle voice assistant (78% in the UK, 77% in Germany, 65% in France) — with the majority of those with access using it at least weekly — until now the use cases for these assistants have been relatively contained to in-vehicle controls, navigation, and calls.
Now, new research reveals that European drivers in the countries surveyed are ready for supercharged assistants with new AI-powered capabilities that promise to bring a whole new world of functionality to drivers through natural conversation.
These new voice generative AI functionalities include being able to place food orders and complete other transactions hands-free from the car dashboard, using the assistant instead of a car manual to better understand and operate car features and address maintenance issues, and even using the in-vehicle voice assistant to summarize text or email threads to aid productivity on-the-go.
Key findings:
|
|
United Kingdom |
France |
Germany |
All |
|
Drivers said they were likely to use voice generative AI capabilities in their car if available |
84% |
70% |
82% |
79% |
|
Would be willing to pay a fee or be served ads to get access |
69% |
71% |
63% |
68% |
|
The percent of those planning to purchase or lease a vehicle in the next 12 months who would select a car with AI features over one without |
83% |
87% |
78% |
83% |
Sophisticated AI-powered voice assistants promise to help drivers and passengers unlock existing vehicle features using only speech, as well as introducing a whole range of new and enhanced capabilities that bring new levels of convenience, practicality, and entertainment to the car.
The report also found that as many as 2 in 5 drivers currently find car features too complicated, with 50% finding common applications like GPS navigation difficult and frustrating.
How can users make the most of voice generative AI capabilities?
The study tested ideas for new and enhanced in-vehicle features for drivers, including:
- In-vehicle food ordering – Voice assistant allows the driver to easily order food along their route so it’s ready when they arrive. (See SoundHound’s vision for a voice ecosystem)
- Order food from popular chains while you drive
- Pay automatically with credit card on file
- Food is timed to be ready for pick-up when you arrive at the restaurant
|
|
United Kingdom |
France |
Germany |
|
Interest in AI feature |
72% |
57% |
69% |
- Vehicle management – Voice assistant helps you navigate alerts and navigate your way around car features
- When alerts pop up, you can ask the assistant the meaning behind alert
- Assists with scheduling a vehicle service for maintenance
- Brings the vehicle manual to life for drivers with responses to questions about how to use certain vehicle features
|
|
United Kingdom |
France |
Germany |
|
Interest in AI feature |
90% |
77% |
88% |
- Stay in touch – Voice assistant summarizes text threads, places calls, and communicates like never before:
- Let voice generative AI do the talking for you on quick calls like ETA updates
- Hear a simple summary of a complicated group text thread totally hands-free
- Get the real-time news, weather, and sports you care about most
|
|
United Kingdom |
France |
Germany |
|
Interest in AI feature |
84% |
68% |
81% |
“This survey data is consistent with what we’ve been seeing from real drivers using voice generative AI out on the road. Over the last 12 months of deployment, it’s become clear that those early users really see the value,” said Mike Zagorsek, COO and Automotive lead at SoundHound AI. “In some cases, we’ve seen voice assistant usage increasing five fold compared to a traditional vehicle voice assistant. That tells us that AI-powered technology is making a significant impact and is here to stay.”
Last year, SoundHound was the first AI company in the world to launch a vehicle assistant with generative AI capabilities. The software is now in production with a range of automakers globally in multiple languages, with the assistant processing multiple millions of queries in the last 12 months.
The company commissioned this new survey from Big Village as part of a strategic program undertaken with Vivaldi to unlock new use cases for the voice generative AI technology and drive value for both OEMs and drivers.