Voice recognition technology getting more love: Voice commands like the 21 bn per week that Apple’s Siri handles are revolutionizing computing, almost similar to the old days when phones abandoned wires. “Voice will not wholly replace other forms of input and output … But voice is destined to account for a growing share of people’s interactions with the technology around them,” according to The Economist’s print edition. The global consumer market of voice recognition technologies is expected to grow from USD 54.4 bn in 2016 to USD 95.9 bn in 2021, according to a report by BCC Research. “However, to reach its full potential, the technology requires further breakthroughs,” The Economist tells us. Voice technology is not yet able to conduct full conversations with context. Amazon announced last year it is offering a USD 500k prize for making Alexa have a conversation about pop culture and news events, GeekWire reported, with an addition USD 1 mn if the bot can have a coherent and engaging 20-min conversation. On the ethical front, issues of privacy are sticking in voice technology, as “many voice-driven devices are always listening, waiting to be activated,” The Economist says. They start sending audio to the cloud at one recognizable sound like ‘Hey Siri’ or ‘Alexa.’ So you’re not so paranoid if you cover your camera or tell your secrets in a room away from your phone.

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