The growth and expansion of cyberspace, as well as increased use in computing and software applications, have made every aspect of life to be technology driven. Technology is making every aspect of the life of to achieve its goals a lot much easier. The demand for personal digital intelligence to achieve personal as well as corporate goals has increased. Nonetheless, to ensure that the PDIs make a positive impact on lives of individuals then they have to be in a way that they meet the needs and preferences of every individual. Several products that use PDIs exist and they include Siri, Bixby, Alexa, Cortana and Google Assistant/OK Google. These voice assistant devices particularly Siri and OK Google which are most popular can perform various functions from calling, texting, launching an app, getting directions, adjust settings to following voice commands and more. To answer the research question whether there is a market for Personal Digital Intelligence (PDI) in London, the research adopts a quantitative approach.
The type of quantitative method employed was online survey questionnaire from Survey Monkey platform. The researcher employs the use of a structured mixed questionnaire as a lead instrument to obtain an indication of participants’ viewpoints. Data were collected in London mainly from friends and colleagues. Some had been collected from random people in coffee shops such as Starbucks and local cafes, as well as business districts on Regents Street and Shoreditch. In the data collection procedure, surveys were sent to the participants online through Facebook and WhatsApp, where each survey takes less than 1 minute to complete. Data analysis is done using the Excel software. Various graphical representations and descriptive statistics are shown to help make a meaning out of the collected data. Findings from both primary and secondary research are presented. The primary results were got after analysis of the data collected using questionnaire.
The secondary data presented in this case are findings made by previous researchers concerning certain aspects of the subjects under investigation. From the analysis, it emerges that PDI has a market in London. The ability of respondents to affirm overwhelmingly that they have used the PDI shows that there is a market. The 9 respondents who have not used PDI also gives a chance for the developers to market their product. Given that many people are already using the software it becomes easy to reach those who are not as they are the minority. Also, the fact that most people understand the benefits of PDIs and not seeing it as just necessary for voice is a pointer to the existence of the market. Usually, for a good to gain market, the consumer has to be rational. By being rational, the consumer understands the goods or service that they are buying and knows its alternative usefulness.
Problem Statement
In the world of computing technology, consumers and scientists dream of bridging the gap between human and machine with a natural spoken language (Tuttle, 2015). As of now, machine outperforms human in complex calculation tasks, it is frustrating that they lag behind with understanding language (Tuttle, 2015). Today, voice-driven assistant technologies in the form of virtual assistant and conversational interface exceed in intelligence and market dominance with products such as Siri, Bixby, Alexa, Cortana and Google Assistant/OK Google (Tuttle, 2015). According to comScore, by the year 2020, 200 billion searches will be done by voice per month, creating over $50 billion market opportunity per year around voice search (Tuttle, 2015). As I see opportunity in the market, I would like to test the market for Personal Digital Intelligence (PDI) – an artificial intelligence operating system which is much more than just a voice. This research paper aims to find out if there is a market for such a product in London, United Kingdom. Apart from the basic functions that it can perform such as adjust settings, reminder, translator etc. this AI system can act as a friend whom you can share about your day with and have an actual conversation. It allows connecting on another level than just answering questions and following instructions. For example, a day using PDI goes like this – “Morning Steven, How are you? I am guessing you already had your coffee in.
This morning you have a meeting with Mrs. Henry about the yearly forecast, followed by appraisal meeting with the sales managers and pick up your document at Will’s at 11 am. You received 38 emails and 9 messages. Oh and don’t forget to look for a new necktie as you wanted”. PDI can be useful to anyone from a busy businessman, a personal trainer, a university student to someone who lacks a social life and is lonely. In terms of competitors, there are similar existing products such as Siri, Bixby, Alexa, Cortana and Google Assistant/OK Google. These voice assistant devices particularly Siri and OK Google which are most popular can perform various functions from calling, texting, launching an app, getting directions, adjust settings to following voice commands and more. However, they are not direct competitors as they cannot communicate on a conversational level making PDI stand out from the market with this competitive advantage. After watching an American science fiction romance film called “Her”, I was very inspired by the idea it conveyed. A man who fell deeply in love with an operating system which develops into a unique entity of its own. This was a great inspiration which developed into a business idea although the technology today is not as advanced to perform such, however, I believe in the coming years such functions will come to life. Advancement in voice technology will soon be universal, as intelligent user interface merge seamlessly into daily life (Tuttle, 2015).
Research Design
In the attempt to answer the research question whether there is a market for Personal Digital Intelligence (PDI) in London, I adopted a quantitative approach for my study. The type of quantitative method employed was online survey questionnaire from Survey Monkey platform. I attempted the use of a structured mixed questionnaire as a lead instrument to obtain an indication of participants’ viewpoints. The questionnaire includes a mixture of open and closed-ended items. The majority of questions were closed-ended items which are quantified easily to indicate views, whereas open-ended items revealed participants view of the limitation of the process (Tashakkori and Teddlie, 2003, p.297). This is a relevant implication which could have been missed with completely closed-ended questions (Tashakkori and Teddlie, 2003, p.297). It is a well-suited approach where I can collect standardised data from a large number of people and can make generalisations as my research question is not focused on any particular customer segment (Research, n.d.). This is an effective way to measure the behaviour and preference of participants (Research, n.d.).
Data Collection
Data was collected in London mainly from friends and colleagues. Some had been collected from random people in coffee shops such as Starbucks and local cafes, as well as business districts on Regents Street and Shoreditch. In the data collection procedure, surveys were sent to the participants online through Facebook and WhatsApp, where each survey takes less than 1 minute to complete. The main advantage of surveys is that it is user-friendly, convenient and less time consuming for respondents (Cvent, 2016). Whereas for me as the researcher, it accounts for design flexibility, automation and real-time access, and is quick with a low cost, even though this method has its limitations (Cvent, 2016). Overall, 70 surveys were collected.
Data Analysis
This section outlines the strategy that was used to analyse the data that was collected. The analysis involved five main processes which included data management. During data management, a critical task was carried out to ensure quality and using Excel. The next stage entailed analysis of demographic information using the software. The third stage involved the determination of the validity and reliability of data used. The last stage entailed if the data was appropriate for any model inferred.
Findings
In this section, the results of the study are presented. The chapter is initiated with data screening results which entail the response rate achieved and the non-response bias, the missing data, any known influential outliers and the required assumptions for further analyses. Further, the demographic features of the respondents taking part in the study is also noted. Summary of all results for every question asked is presented. The chapter also details the findings from both primary and secondary research. The primary results were got after analysis of the data collected using questionnaire. The secondary data presented in this case are findings made by previous researchers concerning certain aspects of the subjects under investigation. The use of secondary data, in this case, was to assist in providing some context to aspects and historical data on the subject under investigation. Therefore, secondary data complements the primary research as it provides the context from previous studies.
Question 1: Gender
From the findings, it emerged that there were 36 females and 34 males, representing 51.43 % and 48.57 % respectively. Classifying the participants in terms of gender is important as it helps the researcher to avoid the risk of absolutism. The phenomena under study (whether there is market for PDI) cannot be same across the board.
Question 2: Age
From the results presented, those who were below 20 years were 9; 21-35 years were 34; 46-60 years were 9 and above 60 years were 7.
Question 3: Occupation
When asked about the occupation, the results obtained indicated that 31 were students, 15 were employees, 10 of the respondents were self-employed and 14 of them were business owners.
Question 4: Average Monthly Income
In this question, the researcher sought to find the average monthly income of the respondents. Certain income brackets were provided. The results obtained is noted below. Those who earned lower than 500 pounds were 15, between 500-1000 pounds were 12, those who earned between 1000-2000 pounds were 16, those between 2000-3000 pounds were 17 and those who earned more than 3000 pounds were 10. By asking the question about the average monthly income, the researcher seeks to find out the income brackets for most of the respondents. As much as the PDIs have several benefits, there are individuals who consider them as luxurious goods. Therefore, very few of such people would want to consider buying goods that have the PDIs installation. From the respondent base, the set of people earn different levels of decent income and hence the capability to come across or use the PDI.
Question 5: Use of PDIs
In this question, the researcher sought to establish if the respondent has ever used Apple’s Siri, Samsung’s Bixby or Google Assistant. The results were as follows; Yes were 61 and No 9 while others were zero (0).
Question 6: Frequency of Use
In this question, the frequency of use of question 5 is queried. The categories of use that are listed include never, daily, weekly and less than once in a month. From the results that were obtained, it emerged that those who had use them daily were 16, those who had used them weekly were 18 and those who used them less than once in a month were 24 while those who had never used them were 12 in number.
Question 7: Main Purpose of Use
In this question, the researcher sought to establish the main purpose of use of Apple’s Siri, Samsung’s Bixby or Google Assistant. From the results that were obtained from the questionnaire, it was established that the main purpose included calls, texts and emails 18; asking questions 20; adjust settings-8; boredome-20 and other reasons 3.
Question 8: The Functions Liked Most
The question seeks to find the function that is liked most. In this question only 65 responses were obtained from a total of 70 respondents. Those who preferred it for reminder were 14; those who preferred it for translation were 14, those who made use of it mainly in making calls were 6, and those who used it more so for conversation were 4.
Question 9: Use it for Intelligence Purpose More than Just a Voice
In this question, the researcher seeks to find whether individuals would spend on a digital intelligence which is more than just a voice, like considering it being a mentor, travel buddy or a secretary. Those who agreed were 46 while those who opposed were 24. The affirmation by 65.71% of the respondents that they use the PDI for intelligence purpose more than just a voice affirms that PDIs provide a rich knowledge base. Often, the PDIs have the capability to access a large data spectrum. They are in a position to provide so much in as far as data insights are concerned to field-specific content that is stored in integrated databases. Through the PDIs individuals get to a new level of connectivity, more than just the usual voice. Through the intersection of PDIs and Internet of Things, there is a new level of communication that is created between devices, people, and companies. Most of the PDIs enhance productivity. Even though they were originally designed to facilitate human life by assisting in routine and repetitive tasks, the PDIs have increasingly dominated markets and are thriving in certain areas.
For instance, Amy helps in improving the corporate productivity by cutting through the emails to automate the meeting schedule. Viv, one of the bots created by the designers of Siri is connecting people, homes, and cars and even performing various tasks in a smarter way as compared to a group of single function agents. Given that the PDIs bridge human and technology is reason enough to understand why most of the respondents affirmed that it was meant for intelligence purpose and not just voice. The PDIs are serving as mediators between humans and innovation. The technology helps people to adapt to the ever dynamic digital space and adopt use of technology in both professional and personal areas of their lives.
Question 10: Whether the Device can develop into a good friend
In this question, the researcher weighed on the thought of respondent if they think the device can develop into a good friend. Those who agreed were 33, those who said no were 15 while those who were not sure but thought it would be 22.
From the analysis, it emerges that PDI has a market in London. The ability of respondents to affirm overwhelmingly that they have used the PDI shows that there is a market. The 9 respondents who have not used PDI also gives a chance for the developers to market their product. Given that many people are already using the software it becomes easy to reach those who are not as they are the minority. Also, the fact that most people understand the benefits of PDIs and not seeing it as just necessary for voice is a pointer to the existence of the market. Usually, for a good to gain market, the consumer has to be rational. By being rational, the consumer understands the goods or service that they are buying and knows its alternative usefulness.
Recommendations
When conducting the next study, the researcher needs to consider taking the mixed study approach. Through the mixed study, the researcher will be in a position to incorporate the qualitative and quantitative studies. Through qualitative study, the research can then take an explanatory form. Through the new approach, the researcher will be in a position to understand why there is a market and why there is no market. More in-depth insights into marketing variables such as brands, price, place, and promotion need to be emphasized on. Without this, the research instrument, questionnaire remains ambiguous and with no specific focus on the goal of the study. The researcher can additionally, consider taking a new approach to data collection. The new approach can include mapping out schools, corporates and other organizations rather than having a random sample. As much as random sample may be representative of the entire population in London, it is worth noting that focusing on friends and those visiting coffee shops brings an aspect of biases in the study.
Bibliography
Cvent.com., 2016. Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Surveys. Available from https://blog.cvent.com/events/advantages-disadvantages-online-surveys/
Research., n.d.. Introduction to Research. Available from http://libweb.surrey.ac.uk/library/skills/Introduction%20to%20Research%20and%20Managing%20Information%20Leicester/page_48.htm
Tashakkori, A. and Teddlie, C. eds., 2010. Sage handbook of mixed methods in social & behavioral research. Sage. Available from https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=F8BFOM8DCKoC&oi=fnd&pg=PA297&dq=why+use+questionnaires+in+data+collection&ots=gVbQvBvyNk&sig=UL1l_9_aISpUAzNeQea9zerMffc#v=onepage&q=why%20use%20questionnaires%20in%20data%20collection&f=false
Tuttle, T., 2015. The Future of Voice: What's Next After Siri, Alexa and Ok Google. Available from https://www.recode.net/2015/10/27/11620032/the-future-of-voice-whats-next-after-siri-alexa-and-ok-google