Written by Lolitta Tracy
For decades, we’ve been glued to our screens, clicking, tapping and then swiping to access information. But innovation in voice AI is driving a whole new era of interactivity. We’re now able to communicate with phones, cars, wearables, smart speakers and other devices in the same way we talk to each other, just by using our voice.
By 2022, it is predicted that almost half of U.S. households* will be using smart speakers with voice assistants. Voice interfaces are also being built into our cars, phones, shopping experiences, and even home appliances—and it won’t be long before they’re fully embedded in every dimension of our daily lives.
We’re steadily moving into a “voice-first” world but how do we keep up with all the technological advancements and market trends? By turning to the experts, of course!
There are many notable influencers on Twitter and for this list we picked a handful of them that are actively posting about voice AI. From academics to engineers, and journalists to entrepreneurs, these 15 experts will keep you up-to-date on how voice AI is evolving from a novelty to a must-have for businesses across industries.
Joan Palmiter Bajorek | @joanbajorek
Speech technologist, linguist, and PhD candidate at University of Arizona, Joan is a vocal advocate for women working in voice AI and has founded the @WomenInVoice international community.
Trevor Cox | @trevor_cox
Acoustical engineer at Salford University, radio presenter, and author of Now You’re Talking and Sonic Wonderland. Trevor holds a PhD in acoustics and has decades of experience in this field.
Heidi Culbertson | @hculbertson
Founder and CEO of Marvee, a voice-first design studio specializing in engaging older adults. Heidi is also a VUI consultant and speaker with 25 years of cross-discipline tech experience.
Lauren Golembiewski | @LaurenGolem
CEO and co-founder of Voxable, an agency that designs and develops voice interfaces for brands. Her background includes 10+ years of product and user experience design.
Dave Kemp | @Oaktree_Dave
Author of the FuturEar.co blog where he documents the rapid technological breakthroughs that are occurring in the hearables market including biometric sensors and voice assistants.
Bret Kinsella | @bretkinsella
Editor and publisher of Voicebot.ai and Voicebot podcast, the top destinations for news, research, and analysis of voice AI technology. He’s also the co-founder and CEO of Act with Edge, providing B2B marketing strategies for early stage tech startups.
Theo Lau | @psb_dc
Founder of Unconventional Ventures, speaker, and notable IoT writer. Theo has vast experience in FinTech that serves as the backbone of her voice AI work in the financial industry.