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Governments around the world are turning to scientific research and technology to fight the coronavirus. Experts on technology have begun thinking about what life will be like after the virus is defeated. Some are predicting an increase in demand for voice-controlled systems to perform tasks without the need for human touch. Voice-activated systems such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant have already experienced strong growth in recent years. Experts say the coronavirus crisis could drive even more growth as many people seek technology to replace physical touch. Health officials have suggested one way to reduce the risk of the virus spreading is to clean and Jonathan Collins is research director for ABI Research, a service that helps organizations face technology issues. He says voice-activated systems in homes “can mean avoiding commonly touched surfaces” to control smartphones, televisions, lighting, doors and heating systems. Collins said the coronavirus crisis is likely to drive "additional motivation and incentive” for home voice ABI estimates that shipments for voice control devices for ‘smart’ home use hit 141 million worldwide last An estimate by Juniper Research showed the number of voice assistants in use for all purposes reached 4.2 billion devices this year. Juniper estimates the number could grow to 8 billion by 2023. Avi Greengart is a technology expert with market research company Techsponential. He told AFP he expects a wider choice of business uses for voice technologies as companies now face new health and safety concerns. "Looking forward, office spaces will need to move towards more touch-free controls,” Greengart said. Voice-activated systems can be one solution, along with motion sensors to control lighting, he added. "I do expect smart speakers - along with an emailed list of commands - to be a common feature at hotels and other rental properties. The fewer touch points, the better,” Greengart added. Julian Issa follows technology for Futuresource Consulting. He notes there had already been rising use of British-based Voxly Digital develops voice apps for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It reported last month that 48 percent of people in Britain said they were using voice assistants more since being home About one-fourth of British homes own a smart speaker. Twenty-one percent of users in the study said they had used voice assistants twice as much, or more, since the pandemic began. Voxly Digital also reported that 40 percent of users predicted they would continue to use voice apps more once the crisis is over. British advertising industry group IAB UK published research showing large increases in online listenership Experts say they expect other growth areas for voice assistants to be in industries that deal with large numbers of people every day. These include health care centers, large retail businesses and entertainment companies. One example is a medical tool already in use at the world famous Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The tool uses Veton Kepuska is a computer engineering professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. He specializes in speech recognition technologies. He told AFP he is seeking to develop voice-activated robots that could take over many tasks from doctors or nurses from a safe distance. Kepuska explained, "The pandemic has created a situation where we need to think about how to deliver Words in This Story task – n. a piece of work disinfect – v. to clean something with a chemical to destroy bacteria motivation – n. enthusiasm for doing something incentive – n. something that encourages a person to do something or work harder smart – adj. something that uses advanced computer systems to operate feature – n. a typical quality or important part of something rental – n. an arrangement to rent something as opposed to buying it app – n. a program for a smartphone or other deice that performs a special function retail – n. the activity of selling products to the public in shops and on the internet entertainment – n. shows, films, television or other performances or activities that entertain people |