IBM: Talking Web Will be Commonplace in 5 Years
Every year IBM releases a "Next Five in Five" list, a list of innovations that "have the potential to change the way people work, live and play over the next five years". This is the third such list, and it mentions a "Talking Web" among the 5 items. You will talk to the Web and the Web will talk back, according to IBM. In the future "you will be able to surf the Internet, hands-free, by using your voice - therefore eliminating the need for visuals or keypads."
In fact this is already starting to happen, as recent iPhone releases from Google and Say Where show.
We can definitely see the potential in a Talking Web - responding to emails quickly using voice, searching the web by barking orders into your computer / phone, composing blog posts by dictating, and so on. The shift to voice will happen in some places for cultural reasons and as a by-product of the rise in popularity of mobile phones to access the Web. IBM notes that in India the spoken word is more prominent than the written word in education, government and culture, so "talking" to the Web is set to usurp all other interfaces. IBM predicts that this change will be driven by new technology, with speech instead of text as the main interface. IBM calls this "VoiceSites," noting that "people without access to a personal computer and Internet, or who are unable to read or write, will be able to take advantage of all the benefits and conveniences the Web has to offer."
Will all this happen in 5 years? While at least one Slashdot commenter thinks it'll be more like 15 years, we see plenty of evidence of voice recognition software on the Web already. 
Just a week or so ago Google released an update of its Google Mobile App for the iPhone (iTunes link), which included voice recognition to translate voice commands into search queries. In our tests, we found the voice recognition to be very accurate. Google also offers voice search through GOOG-411 and Yahoo and other information providers offer similar services. There are a whole host of talking search engines in fact. Also, we're seeing voice apps from startups - such as the Say Where iPhone application (our review).
Here are the full 5 predictions from IBM:
- Energy saving solar technology will be built into asphalt, paint and windows
- You will have a crystal ball for your health
- You will talk to the Web . . . and the Web will talk back
- You will have your own digital shopping assistants
- Forgetting will become a distant memory
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I don't think so. Unless it is as fast as barking to the computer. There are ways to get free phone services via web, but it is too much time consuming and cheap and it just doesn't work well man. And in 5 years a lot can change, and a lot will change, but not this. Because first of all barking somewhere besides email, myspace, and facebook is not even that common and it took a long time for them to establish, so how is voice going to be popular all of a sudden in just 5 years.
Regards: rizzy
http://twitter.com/rizzy81
i think there is a chance for the talking web to be in place in maybe a decade, but apart from the voice recognition problems, one must also account for the aspects of writing/ research that are much easier to deal with when written. for instance, how will you go back and re-do the third word in the last sentence you said?
also, the new iPhone app kind of sucks really - it understands about 10% of what i say and i really do not have a funny accent.
Hi Paulina,
Maybe you don't have a funny accent, but the developer did! Lol
Tom
Somehow I see it happening MUCH sooner than that!
Jess
www.anonweb.eu.tc
It will all come about very soon I am sure.
I think IBM could be more right than wrong...driven by a few factors- mobile computing, geo-web experiences, rise of video to video experiences, and the 'social TV' experience... If 'web services' do start to pick up... voice based interfaces could find a nice home online.
Garry G
Editor
TheEnergyRoadmap.com
http://www.theenergyroadmap.com
You will have your own digital shopping assistants
This seems to be almost a reality now
http://www.storespecials.com.au has recently launched in Australia, offering the first shopping portal with 6 dimensional search and a fully integrated Rewards Loyalty Program.
This will also be available via the Store Specials mobile platform that will integrate location and product offers with the wish lists, alerts and social marketing - twitter, facebook etc of the registered users
This 5 in 5 prediction should be a reality sooner than expected
Alex
http://www.storespecials.com.au
These are not predictions these are already path's that are taking place.
IBM has really good voice recognition products without doubts, but even they cant handle the promise of tomorrow a web based purely on voice wont work.
There will always be a need for typing devices be it a keyboard or touchscreen. And its offending to say that country's like india will benefith from this its another way to say we will profit from illeterat person.
Either ways you can talk to the web but it wont talk back because it does not make sense that part of A.i is not cracked yet.
You should try 1-800-FREE411. They are similar to GOOG411 but they have residential and government listings (which GOOG411 does not) in addition to business listings.