Latest news with #voiceassistant
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Prediction: SoundHound AI Stock Will Beat the Market. Here's Why.
It has been just over four years since SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) made its stock market debut, and the voice artificial intelligence (AI) company's returns have been disappointing thus far, as it has gained just 28% during this period, as compared to the 45% gains clocked by the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite. What's worth noting is that wild stock price swings have been a common characteristic of SoundHound's journey on the market as a public company. The stock had a forgettable 2022 after its stock market listing, followed by a massive 1,000% jump in 2023 and 2024. This year, however, is turning out to be another woeful one for SoundHound investors, as the stock has lost nearly 52% of its value as of this writing. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » The good part is that SoundHound seems capable of going on a bull run once again, replicating the impressive gains it clocked in 2023 and 2024 that were big enough to help it crush the broader market's returns. Let's look at the reasons why SoundHound stock could go on a market-beating run once again. SoundHound AI's eye-popping growth is here to stay for a long time SoundHound AI offers conversational AI solutions such as voice-based AI agents, in-vehicle voice assistants, voice-based e-commerce, and voice-enabled AI chat assistants, among other things. Its solutions are deployed across multiple verticals such as restaurants, healthcare, contact centers, and connected devices. The market that SoundHound serves is currently in a nascent state. Market research firm Imarc Group estimates that the conversational AI market was worth just over $13 billion last year. Its size is expected to jump by 11x through 2033, clocking a compound annual growth rate of 29%. SoundHound's growth in the past three years suggests that it is benefiting nicely from the end-market opportunity on offer. As the chart indicates, the company's growth has picked up impressively in recent quarters. SOUN Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts This remarkable growth can be attributed to the company's rapid expansion in industries such as restaurants and automotive, where the adoption of voice-based AI solutions is growing at a nice clip. SoundHound management pointed out in its first-quarter earnings report that its customers in the restaurant industry have been adding its voice AI-based answering and ordering solutions to more locations. The company is also expanding into new areas such as healthcare and retail. The robust adoption of SoundHound's solutions across multiple verticals is the reason why it reported impressive revenue growth of 151% in the first quarter. Another thing worth noting is that SoundHound is building multiple revenue streams. It gets royalties from the usage of its solutions in automotive, smart TVs, and other connected devices, along with subscription revenue from applications such as food ordering and customer service. The company is looking to further monetize its offerings through advertisements. Meanwhile, SoundHound's foray into the voice-based agentic AI market should ideally open another solid growth opportunity. The company recently announced its Amelia agentic AI platform through which customers can develop and deploy voice AI agents that can reason on their own and perform complex tasks. The integration of AI in customer support is expected to jump by 20x over the next decade, with the market expected to generate more than $53 billion in revenue in 2034. This is another example of how SoundHound is going after lucrative opportunities in the conversational AI market that should help the company continue to grow at elevated levels in the long run. A solid balance sheet should be a tailwind for the company SoundHound AI has turned to acquisitions to bolster its position in the conversational AI market. Its latest acquisition was that of Amelia last year, which improved its presence in the customer service market in verticals such as retail, finance, insurance, and healthcare. Similarly, its previous two acquisitions of Allset and Synq3 shored up its presence in online ordering, connected devices, and restaurants. It won't be surprising to see SoundHound making more acquisitions in the future, thanks to its healthy balance sheet. The company is almost debt-free and has a net cash balance of more than $240 million, which will come in handy if it decides to improve its presence further in the conversational AI space. As such, there is a good chance that SoundHound AI could become a much bigger company in the long run. The company is expecting to almost double its revenue in 2025 to $167 million, which is much faster than the pace at which the conversational AI market is set to grow. Assuming SoundHound AI averages annual revenue growth of even 30% over the next five years, which will be almost in line with the projected growth of its end market, its top line could hit $583 million in 2030. If SoundHound stock trades at even 15 times sales at that time, which would be a big discount to its current price-to-sales ratio of 34, its market capitalization could jump to $8.75 billion. That points toward a potential upside of 127% over the next five years based on its current market cap, which could be enough to help it beat the broader market's gains during this period. Should you invest $1,000 in SoundHound AI right now? Before you buy stock in SoundHound AI, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and SoundHound AI wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,761!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $826,263!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is978% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to170%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025
Phone Arena
7 days ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
Gemini, ChatGPT, Grok – they all talk and now Claude wants a word, too
The AI space is moving fast and we are already seeing tons of powerful large language models (LLMs) doing some seriously cool (and kind of scary) stuff. Just take a look at Google's new Flow video generation tool. And sure, Google and OpenAI are leading the charge, but they are not the only ones making waves – Anthropic is stepping up, too. Anthropic has started rolling out a new voice mode for its Claude chatbot on both Android and iOS. It is still in beta, but this feature lets you have full-on voice conversations with Claude. It is launching in English first and should hit devices over the next few weeks. We're rolling out voice mode in beta on mobile. Try starting a voice conversation and asking Claude to summarize your calendar or search your docs. — Anthropic (@AnthropicAI) May 27, 2025 With voice mode, you can talk to Claude and hear responses spoken back, making it a lot more convenient when your hands are busy but you need an answer right away. As Claude speaks, it will also show key points on the can switch between voice and text at any time and once you are done chatting, you will get a transcript and a summary of the are five different voice options to choose from and the feature even supports chatting about things like documents and images. However, there are some limits. Voice chats count toward your regular usage and free users can expect around 20–30 if you want voice mode to work with Google Workspace – like checking your Gmail or calendar – you will need to be a paid Claude subscriber. Google Docs integration is only available with Claude's Enterprise plans. If this all sounds familiar, it is because several other AI players already offer voice chat, too. OpenAI has let you talk to ChatGPT for a while now and the experience feels impressively human. Google has Gemini Live, which acts as more of a real-world assistant. And even Elon Musk's xAI brought voice mode to Grok. However, each one brings something different to the table. ChatGPT is all about smooth, multimodal interactions. Gemini Live leans into visual context for helping out in everyday situations. Grok stands out with its personality and real-time takes on social media. And now Claude is carving out its own space by focusing on thoughtful replies and deep productivity features like document and email integration.
Globe and Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Why Shares of SoundHound AI Are Soaring Today
Shares of the voice-powered artificial intelligence (AI) company SoundHound AI(NASDAQ: SOUN) traded nearly 13% higher as of 11:18 a.m. ET today. Analysts at Piper Sandler initiated coverage of the stock Tuesday morning with an overweight rating. A pure play on AI Piper Sandler analyst James Fish wrote in his initiation note that SoundHound, which provides advanced AI voice assistants, is a great way to play the AI trade, and the company has just begun to tap into its potential. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » He added that he sees a combined $30 billion serviceable addressable market by 2027. Furthermore, Fish and his team expect SoundHound to transition to more of a subscription model, in which revenue from this segment of the business could make up 90% of total revenue in just a few years. Two years ago, subscription revenue represented just 4% of total sales. Fish has a price target on the stock of $12, implying another 12% upside, even after this recent rally. Still early in the journey SoundHound AI certainly looks to have a long runway and is making financial progress as well. Revenue in the first quarter of 2025 grew more than 150% year over year, while the company reported $0.31 earnings per share and a $0.06 loss per share on an adjusted basis. With a $4.3 billion market cap, the stock is still expensive, so like many of my recommendations on these AI stocks with big potential, you can start to accumulate shares but don't need to go all in just yet. Should you invest $1,000 in SoundHound AI right now? Before you buy stock in SoundHound AI, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and SoundHound AI wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider whenNetflixmade this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation,you'd have $639,271!* Or when Nvidiamade this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation,you'd have $804,688!* Now, it's worth notingStock Advisor's total average return is957% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to167%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you joinStock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Bram Berkowitz has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Zawya
27-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Skyloov introduces voice-activated AI search, marking a new phase in UAE proptech
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – In a significant leap for voice-first real estate technology in the region, Skyloov, the UAE's rapidly growing digital property platform, has rolled out its latest innovation, an AI-powered voice search assistant integrated into its mobile app, enabling users to search for properties using conversational, natural language. Whether a user says, 'I need a studio in Dubai Marina' or 'Show me villas for rent with a pool in Jumeirah,' Skyloov's new voice assistant, internally dubbed Silvia, processes the request in real time and returns relevant listings from its extensive property database. Powered by advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) and real-time filtering algorithms, the new feature reduces friction in the property discovery process by eliminating the need for complex dropdowns or keyword inputs. Instead, it provides a hands-free, intuitive, and highly personalised experience, reflective of broader consumer trends toward voice tech adoption in search-driven industries. ' Voice-led search is the next logical step in enhancing user experience in proptech,' said Dr. Abdulaziz Albwardi, Chairman of the Board at Skyloov. ' As consumer expectations evolve, the future of property search must be faster, smarter, and closer to how we naturally think and communicate. This innovation is about reducing barriers between intention and discovery. ' Skyloov's implementation of voice technology aligns with a growing regional demand for AI-driven tools that not only simplify workflows but also enable greater personalisation and responsiveness. With mobile-first usage dominating the UAE real estate journey, particularly among millennial and Gen Z users, voice interfaces are increasingly seen as a natural evolution of property search. The voice feature supports a broad spectrum of inputs, from property types and price ranges to locations and amenities. Importantly, it understands and adapts to the local context, recognising variations in how people describe neighbourhoods or search intents, an area many global platforms struggle to localise effectively. The rollout of voice search comes as Skyloov continues to expand its suite of proprietary tools, including Broker Connect and real-time listing verification, further positioning itself as a technology-first player within the UAE's competitive proptech landscape. Key advantages of the voice search feature include: Conversational UX: Users can speak naturally without structured prompts Real-Time Matching: AI processes and returns listings instantly Localised Language Understanding: Built to recognise common search patterns used in the UAE Hands-Free Convenience: Optimised for users on the go, supporting mobile-first usage behaviours As platforms across industries explore the commercial potential of voice interfaces, Skyloov becomes one of the first real estate platforms in the region to embed AI voice search natively into the app experience, a move that signals where real estate discovery is headed next. About Skyloov Skyloov is the UAE's most comprehensive and fast-growing real estate property portal, committed to empowering users with advanced technology and fair practices. Designed to simplify property searches and deliver tangible results, Skyloov caters to buyers, renters, and investors with intuitive features like voice search and AI-powered property matchmaking. Brokers benefit from tools that prioritize flexibility, transparency, and genuine leads, ensuring real success in a competitive market. With seamless integration into Dubai's real estate ecosystem and a mission to reduce the hassle of finding properties, Skyloov is redefining how real estate transactions happen in the region. For more information, visit For media inquiries, please contact: NAME: Anisha Sharma EMAIL: anisha@
CNET
19-05-2025
- CNET
See Ya, Siri: Why Apple Might Make Third-Party Voice Assistants Available in Europe
Apple is reportedly working on changes to the iPhone's operating system that will make it possible for people to choose an alternative voice assistant to Siri. The ability to switch from Siri to another voice assistant, potentially powered by third-party companies including OpenAI, Google or Meta, could be a reality in the near future, according to a report from Bloomberg -- but only for iPhone owners in Europe. Apple has faced many regulatory hurdles with the EU in recent years, largely in the form of challenges to its proprietary technology and walled-garden ecosystem, which provide Apple device with high levels of consistency, privacy and security, but can make it hard for smaller companies to compete. These regulatory challenges often mean Apple is left with little choice but to make significant changes to the way its tech works. Some of these changes -- switching from Lighting connectors to the universal standard of USB-C, for example -- will affect Apple device owners globally. Others will impact only those who live within the EU. According to Bloomberg, Apple is preparing the changes to Siri in anticipation of the EU demanding the company to allow European users a choice of voice assistants, as it has already done with rival app stores. Siri has been available on iPhones since 2011 and has spawned many copycats. But the advent of generative of AI over the past few years has seen a number of chatbots, perhaps most notably OpenAI's ChatGPT, rival and surpass Siri's capabilities, to the point where Apple is now seen as lagging behind competitors. Apple announced a AI revamp of Siri last year at WWDC, its June developer conference, but the company delayed its rollout. Apple Intelligence-powered Siri is still nowhere to be seen, and may not even make an appearance at this year's WWDC, according to Bloomberg. In light of this, it may be possible that European iPhone owners, when given the option, choose an alternative voice assistant. Unless Apple's hand is forced, there's currently no indication that people elsewhere will be given the same choice.
