SHS Web of Conferences 155, 03019 (2023) https://doi.org/10.

1051/shsconf/202315503019
SDMC 2022

Research on the Development of Voice Assistants in the Era of

Artificial Intelligence
Yuqi Huang1*
1*Beijing Etown Academy, No.12 Sihe Road. Daxing District. Beijing, China.

Abstract. Voice assistants have gradually occupied an important position in the products of many electronics
companies. Artificial Intelligence voice assistants are able to interpret human speech and respond. Users can
ask their assistant questions and manage other essential tasks such as email calendars through verbal
commands. This paper analyzes the artificial intelligence voice assistant through the method of comparative
analysis. The author studies the development situation of intelligent voice assistants, and compares the
differences between Chinese and foreign voice assistants, and finally discusses the relationship between voice
intelligent assistants and people's lives. The author found that users in different countries have different
functional preferences for using voice assistants, but they can help people's work and life to a great extent. In
other words, voice assistants play an important role in contemporary society. Therefore, people need to better
understand the relationship between humans and machine

1 Introduction reflect on whether voice assistants can replace humans

and whether humans will have feelings for voice assistants.
In recent years, with the gradual development of science This article will explore the types of imitation voice
and technology, people have changed the lifestyle of assistants and their impact on people's lives through the
finding information in the library when they have a research methods of literature review and comparative
problem. Now people can directly know the answer to the analysis, and further explains whether humans will
question by using a search engine or artificial intelligence develop emotions for artificial voice assistants. The author
voice assistants. For example, when people use iPhone will first introduce the development and classification of
mobile phones, they often use the siri function. Users only voice assistants, compare the differences between Chinese
need to activate Siri's voice assistant function and use and foreign voice assistants, and then describe the
some simple voice commands to query information, make advantages and disadvantages of voice assistants. By
calls, send information, get directions and play music. It studying the related performance and differences of voice
can be seen that siri, as an artificial voice assistant, has assistant, it can help people better understand the
completed the work of personal assistant to a certain relationship between artificial voice assistant and human.
extent. The data that used to be calculated by the human
brain has been superseded by machines, and artificial
intelligence is a machine that can imitation human 2 Development of artificial intelligence
responses. In fact, artificial intelligence voice assistants voice assistant
are based on applications, which often using voice
commands to answer users' questions and perform tasks. 2.1 Definition of artificial intelligence voice
This interaction is mainly achieved through voice assistant
assistants and automatic speech recognition systems that
output a set of words or sentences for text by recognizing Artificial intelligence voice assistant is a type of speech
and transforming the input speech fragments [1][2]. semantic application technology which is mainly applied
There are also many devices in people's daily life, such to speech recognition, semantic understanding, speech
as Apple's Siri, Xiaomi's Xiao Ai classmate, home synthesis and other intelligent speech semantic
assistant, map navigation assistance and so on. Awakened application technology in electronic devices. Users no
by means of voice response voice assistant to be in a longer need to manually operate, and can use many
position to better help people's lives conveniently. People operations simply by giving instructions to the voice
can make their lives better by utilizing the functions of assistant. The voice assistant understands the user's needs
voice assistants. Obviously, the relationship between from the user's language instructions and completes the
artificial intelligence voice assistants and humans is corresponding tasks for the user. By utilising the voice
getting closer and closer, and it has also led people to assistant, the user's experience of using electronic
*Corresponding author Email: [email protected]

© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
SHS Web of Conferences 155, 03019 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202315503019
SDMC 2022

products such as mobile phones is better. In recent years, understand the deep meaning of sentences through in-
voice interactive technology has become the key depth research and learning, and to connect sentences with
development direction of artificial intelligence technology. each other.
Since Apple launched Siri in 2011, various electronics
companies have imitated Siri's voice assistant mode and
2.2 The development of intelligent voice
added the voice assistant function to the company's
assistants in China and foreign
products, such as Xiaomi's Xiaoai classmate, Google
Assistant, Baidu Map voice. These companies are also
promoting the implementation of voice interaction 2.2.1 China
technology in people's lives. According to the survey data
of China Telecom Terminal Research and Test Center, the In China, Internet companies have gradually formed a
user awareness rate of voice assistant is as high as 95.6%, complete industrial chain of voice intelligent assistant
and the use rate is 58.6% [3]. More than half of mobile products through intra-industry cooperation. Among them,
phone users use voice assistance in their daily life. Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent occupy a sizable market share.
Obviously, artificial voice intelligent assistant is playing These companies also have many products for the
an increasingly important role. application of intelligent voice technology. Companies for
In the past 60 years, the technology of voice assistants users in the daily life of the things need in-depth research,
has developed rapidly. From the combination of three and make efforts to transform these products. In the field
robust acoustic models at the beginning, the accuracy rate of home furnishing, these companies also have certain
of voice assistants has reached the level of human development. Baidu has launched Baidu IHome, and
stenographers, reaching 95% accuracy. Users often use the Alibaba has also launched Tmall series. In addition to
speech-to-text feature, which allows people on the go to these companies, there are many other Chinese companies
send messages and take shorthand. Amazon launched that have developed products related to intelligent voice
smart speakers, which connect apps on smart phones with assistants[5]. For instance, Haier's voice assistant
furniture in daily life, opening up a broader space for voice connects 10 types of smart home appliances under Haier's
interaction and occupying a larger market. The reason for air conditioners, sweepers, ovens, and water heaters
the success of Amazon speaker is the fact that it can truly through voice interaction. Users only need to send
interact with dialogue, which is the most requested feature commands to Haier's intelligent voice system, and Haier's
of today's social users [4]. Definitely, the understanding of smart home products can operate at any time[9]. Figure 1
natural language does not only require the voice assistant shows that the central voice-controlled device can be used
to understand the basic meaning of words, but also to to accept commands and link other home devices.

Fig.1. Haier Smart Home Voice Control Device Demonstration[9]

In recent years, people cease to be satisfied with single continuously increased investment in R&D funds for
intelligent voice technology. Intelligent companies innovation[6]. In the past five years, IFlytek's product
gradually began to transform and develop towards revenue has tripled, which also proves that IFlytek's
technical services. Technology service providers innovative products are increasingly in line with people's
represented by IFlytek began to promote new products. needs.
IFlytek advocates innovative and original product
development. The current research and development
2.2.2 Foreign
direction are in the two directions of perceptual
intelligence and cognitive intelligence. Many online In foreign countries, four major intelligent voice assistants
application platforms have also used IFlytek, such as of Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft occupy the main
AutoNavi, Didi Chuxing and Ctrip. Recently, IFlytek has market. Among them, Amazon's Alexa and Google's

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SHS Web of Conferences 155, 03019 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202315503019
SDMC 2022

Google assistant is developing more rapidly. These voice the usage rate of Chinese language assistants is relatively
assistants can support and accurately apply to the current high, and users' evaluation of voice assistants is also
mainstream demand functions, speech recognition, relatively high. On the one hand, China has a relatively
semantic analysis and so on.These four voice assistant large base using mobile devices, and the number of users
companies are also constantly changing the core of their is also relatively large. On the other hand, Chinese
product concepts according to different user needs, companies attach great importance to the publicity of the
striving to find suitable market groups and occupying use of voice assistant functions, which has promoted more
leading positions in diverse markets[5]. people to use convenient software such as voice assistants.
As a well-known company in the smart phone market,
Apple's products are primarily aimed at its own product
series. Siri is mainly applied in Apple's built-in, which is 3 Discussion
conducive to Apple's promotion to users with the help of Voice assistants have begun to integrate into people's lives.
Apple's series of products. This kind of intelligent voice It has a positive effect on the society as well as on the
assistant is more suitable for users who buy Apple's individual. For office, artificial intelligence voice assistant
companion device. Microsoft's Cortana is more associated can help people work efficiently. For individuals, voice
with the PC. Cortana lets users experience when their assistants can not only provide convenience in life. To a
phone and computer work together. For people who use certain extent, it can make up for the lack of people's
the voice assistant for office work, Cortana will help them emotions. Some people are willing to chat with a voice
have a better experience at work than Siri, which is more assistant after they start using it, which also has a lot to do
used in daily life. with the faster pace of life. While voice assistants are not
Google, as the world's largest search engine, has a as emotionally rich as people, voice assistants can be a
strong technical hand in Google assistant. Google qualified listener. It can also be seen that people have
Assistant is a virtual assistant software application emotional dependence on voice assistants. In addition to
designed by Google, primarily for mobile and home people's reliance on voice assistants, the development of
automation devices. Based on artificial intelligence, voice assistant technology also involves emotional issues.
Google assistant can hold two-way conversations, unlike For example, the fact that Apple's voice assistant Siri
Google Now, the company's previous virtual assistant. married Amazon's voice assistant Alexa, although a
Google assistant has the most powerful technical marketing ploy, has also raised questions about whether
advantage over the previous two voice assistants, making voice assistants have feelings[8]. Although it is known
it easier to search for information. Google assistant will that artificial intelligence voice assistants are generated by
analyze the user's preferences built on the user's search computer programming. But with the development and
frequency and provide users with more valuable progress of science and technology, it will be a question
information. For example, a new "humming search" worth thinking about whether artificial intelligence will
feature will develop by Google in 2020 will allow users to appear human emotions autonomously.
find songs simply by humming, whistling or singing.
Amazon holds the largest share of the facetious voice
market. In 2014, it developed Alexa, a sarcastic voice 4 Conclusion
recognition system, which leads all smart voice assistant
companies to become the market leader. Amazon has In conclusion, with the gradual development of voice
combined the company's appliances with a voice assistant assistant, voice assistants are increasingly affecting
to make a feature-rich product. Amazon no longer keeps people's lives. This paper analyzes the current status of the
Alexa's voice technology private, but instead provides it booming and broad development status of artificial
to third-party platforms[5]. Through cooperation with intelligence voice assistant. This paper compares the voice
other platforms, Alexa has mastered multiple skills in a assistant products of different companies in China and
short period of time, occupying an important position in foreign countries. The author found that China pays more
intelligent voice assistance products. attention to voice assistant products related to life, while
foreign customers prefer to use voice assistant products at
work. With the development of technology, the
2.3 Difference analysis of voice assistants in relationship between artificial language assistants and
different countries humans will become closer and closer. The research
The Chinese company's products are more aimed at users' method of this article is relatively limited. In the future
personal daily use, such as smart home and map research, the author will use more research methods such
navigation. And foreign intelligent voice assistant as questionnaires and interviews to better understand the
companies pay more attention to office use, such as the views of artificial voice assistants in people's minds.
arrangement of some company meetings. In general, the
voice assistants in each country are different, and there is Acknowledgements
no uniform evaluation standard. The user experience of
using a voice assistant is also different. In Germany, most I would first like to thank my thesis advisor. She
users rated voice assistants lower than in the UK, Italy and consistently allowed this paper to be my own work, but
Spain. Reviews from these users also reflect the level of steered me in the right the direction whenever she thought
development of a country's voice assistants [7]. In contrast, I needed it. Also, I want express my very profound

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SHS Web of Conferences 155, 03019 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202315503019
SDMC 2022

gratitude to my parents and to my partner for providing

me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement
through the process of researching and writing this paper.
This accomplishment would not have been possible
without them.

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