TL;DR
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24% of Gen Z send voice notes multiple times a day
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43% prefer speaking to typing for quick communication at work
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41% are more comfortable using voice technology in daily life than a few years ago
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There is a major societal shift happening around technology: voice is becoming integral to everyday life. According to research by Twilio, almost a quarter (22%) of Uk consumers now talk more than they type when interacting with technology. This indicates that consumers expect technology to adapt to how they naturally communicate, demanding more intuitive and conversational interactions with brands.
Forget typing out a lengthy WhatsApp message, voice notes are increasingly becoming the new norm among younger consumers. Almost a quarter (24%) of Gen Z send voice notes multiple times a day, compared with 13% of Millennials and just 5% of Gen X.
But voice notes are just one sign of a broader shift. According to the study, 41% are more comfortable using voice technology features in their personal lives than they were a few years ago, while 29% say voice technology has become a normal part of their everyday routine.
Together, the findings suggest voice is moving beyond an occasional shortcut and becoming a more familiar way of communicating – particularly when speaking feels faster or more intuitive.
From voice notes to voice commands
That growing comfort is extending beyond communication with other people and into the way Brits interact with technology. According to Twilio data:
- 14% converse with a smart speaker, such as an Amazon Alexa, multiple times a day
- 33% say they are more likely to use voice commands when multitasking in their personal lives
- 11% use voice to ask a device for directions or set reminders multiple times a week
The common thread is convenience: when people are busy, need something quickly or don’t want to navigate a screen, voice technology can remove an unnecessary extra step – allowing technology to fit more naturally around what they are already doing.
From keyboard to conversation
The shift from tapping to talking isn’t stopping when Brits get to work. The same behaviours emerging in people’s personal lives are beginning to shape the working day too, finds the study:
- 36% have used voice dictation to write an email at work, while 29% have used these technologies to complete a work task
- 43% prefer speaking to typing an email when they need to communicate something quickly at work
- 37% feel more comfortable using voice features at work than they did a few years ago
- 30% say using voice technology has become a normal part of their everyday work routine
The findings point to an emerging expectation that technology should fit around the way people work, rather than asking people to constantly adapt the way they communicate.
Commenting on the data, Peter Bell, VP of Marketing, EMEA at Twilio, says: “The future of communication should be effortless, as natural as conversation. For years, technology has asked us to adapt to its rules – typing, tapping, scrolling and navigating through digital experiences.
“Speech is one of the most instinctive ways we communicate, and our research shows that people are leaning into voice technology when it suits them most. In fact, 41% of Brits said they are more comfortable using voice technology features in their daily lives than a few years ago. Instead of asking people to adapt to technology, we can build it so it adapts to the way people naturally communicate – reducing friction and making every interaction feel simpler, smarter and more seamless.”
Kate Devlin, Professor of AI & Society, Department of Digital Humanities, King’s College London adds: “Speech is our main form of communication. It’s the primary way for humans to understand each other and makes for a very natural method of interaction. It conveys so much in such a concise way: tone, emotion, volume, even background noise, all of which can take away ambiguity and make our messages clearer. Not only that, but what we don’t say when we’re talking – when we pause, or what we leave out – can be just as powerful. If we want to express as much as possible in a limited amount of time, talking is the easiest way to do that. It’s a chance to read the other person and not just the words that they type. Now that this extends beyond messaging and into the workplace, we can take out the step of putting the words onto the screen ourselves, which enhances accessibility and can improve efficiency.”
The findings are part of Twilio’s research into changing consumer expectations around communication and the role voice can play in creating simpler, more natural interactions.
The full research findings are available at: How Britain Talks to Machines.
