A Quantitative Study on Awareness, Usage and Reservations of Voice Control Interfaces by Elderly People

Abstract

One third of Germans talk to ‘Alexa’, ‘Siri’ and other voice-controlled devices. These devices become omnipresent and change the way how humans interact with digital technologies. We hypothesize, this Human-Computer-Interface can minimize barriers for elderly people in their usage of digital services. But, do elderly people even know about voice-controlled technologies? Are the systems used by elderly and what reservations do they have? Based on a quantitative study in three municipalities in a rural area (n= 747 ), we found that 59% of people aged 55+ years know voice-controlled devices, 37% used them at least once and even 26% use them regularly. But, more than two thirds of respondents (69%) are concerned that their data are not safe. In contrast, only 35% express concerns to be unable to use the devices. The study concludes that there is a gap between the perceived usefulness and trust in the devices for the surveyed demographic.