Practical Challenges of Virtual Assitants in Industrial Setups

Is there a future for VAs and Voice Interfaces?

Abstract

Virtual assistant systems promise ubiquitous and straightforward access to information and applications. Their foundation on intent-oriented queries and support of natural language makes them an ideal tool for human-centric applications. We investigate the challenges of building a virtual assistant. In a qualitative study reveals two significant obstacles: low user acceptance and a disproportional amount of effort on details. Overall, implementing a virtual assistant for an industrial application is technically feasible yet requires significant effort and understanding of the target audience.