The Future of Voice First Technology and Older Adults 2018

A new trend has emerged, pushing leading edge software developers to shift from mobile first to "voice first." Voice First refers to applications and services that people control primarily by speaking, leveraging the latest developments in Natural Language Processing (NLP). In this report, we use the term Voice First to identify this emerging category of voice-controlled devices, applications or services.  Older adults, caregivers, and service providers quickly recognized the power of Voice First and the advantages that voice-driven applications have over both desktop and mobile versions. While the category has obvious benefits for those with visual and motor difficulties, its power to improve the lives of all older adults is significant. This report discusses the opportunities, both in 2018 and moving forward.