In a new study that sounds like it was created after watching ‘Her’ on a loop for three days, it has now been shown that sexual fantasies about digital assistants are surprisingly common. The study that discovered these interesting and mildly disturbing facts is called the The “Speak Easy” study and it is based
on survey responses of more than 1,000 UK smartphone owners and 100 Amazon Echo owners. The people surveyed were all in the UK and were all over 18 years of age.
Even more surprising than the amount of people who have sexual fantasies about their personal AI is the fact that 37% of the respondents have become so attached to them that they “love their voice assistant so much that they wish it were a real person.”
One person who is not surprised to see this is Elizabeth Cherian, UK director at JWT’s Innovation Group:
“We are on the cusp of a new era in technology where voice is set to become mainstream. Our research shows that 88% of UK smartphone users have used voice technology or would consider doing so in the future. To successfully integrate voice into their offerings, brands need to understand how the technology can simplify everyday tasks by adding value and removing friction from their experience. This is not about tech for tech’s sake. Thoughtful and helpful interactions which genuinely enhance the experience will drive engagement and deeper relationships between consumers and brands.”