Where Voice Tech Is Headed — Takeaways from AutoTech & Key Industry Trends

Observations from AutoTech

When we talk about the future of voice technology, we often imagine quiet living rooms and personal assistants that never miss a command. However, the real proving ground for voice AI is much tougher, filled with engine rumble, overlapping voices, and unpredictable road noise.

That’s why our demo at AutoTech this year marked a decisive moment for Kardome. We gave automotive OEMs an immersive demo of Kardome’s Spatial Hearing AI under one of the harshest acoustic conditions: simulated peak-level road noise. 

Despite an intentionally chaotic soundscape, our voice UI software consistently isolated, identified, and understood individual speakers no matter where they were seated, feeding clean signals to the car’s speech recognition engine. 

The demo impressed engineers and UX leaders alike, reinforcing that robust spatial hearing is no longer optional — it’s essential for intent-based, in-car voice UI that works in the real world, for everyone in the cabin.

We also showcased our collaboration with SoundHound AI by integrating their conversational Automotive Chat AI feature. Together, the system hears like a human and responds like one, identifying who’s speaking, filtering out distractions, understanding what was said, and delivering accurate, real-time responses, whether it’s the driver or someone in the third row.  > Read more about this collaboration. 

Key Partnerships and Integrations

• LG + Kardome: LG Electronics selected Kardome’s Spatial Hearing AI to power its next-generation smart TVs, with future expansion into smart appliances, audio products, and vehicles. This integration brings human-like hearing to consumer electronics, enabling seamless, accurate voice UIs even in noisy, multi-speaker environments. > Read more on Forbes Innovation
• Kardome + NVIDIA: Kardome’s tech is now integrated with NVIDIA’s DRIVE AGX platform, delivering precise voice isolation, speaker identification, and improved speech recognition, enhancing the in-cabin voice experience for next-gen vehicles. > Learn more

Voice UI and Safety Standards

As vehicles become more feature-rich, the risk of driver distraction grows. In a recent article for EE Times Europe, Kardome CEO Dani Cherkassky explores how voice technology is moving beyond convenience to become a safety-critical solution. With European regulators increasingly focused on reducing cognitive load and minimising eyes-off-road time, in-cabin voice interfaces are emerging as a key enabler of safer driving, helping drivers stay focused, react faster, and comply with evolving safety standards. > Read more

Industry Trends and Highlights:

• Apple at WWDC 2025: Apple unveiled iOS 26 at WWDC, introducing the sleek “Liquid Glass” design and powerful on-device AI features like Live Translation, Hold Assist, and enhanced Shortcuts automation. While impressive, Apple delayed its Siri overhaul until 2026 due to quality concerns.
  Why it matters: Apple’s bet on private, on-device voice AI is a wake-up call to OEMs — users expect voice systems to be fast, local, and secure. However, even Apple’s challenges show how difficult it is to deliver consistent, context-aware voice UX.
  Source → The Verge

• Google Gemini 2.5: Gemini 2.5 introduced live, interactive voice with emotion recognition, multi-voice TTS, and real-time audio APIs. These tools offer developers granular control over voice personality and interaction.
  ‍Why it matters: This is a blueprint for OEMs looking to create branded voice assistants that feel distinctly “theirs” — and more human.
  Source → blog.google
• Voice AI Startup Surge: In 2024, funding for voice AI startups surged 8× to $2.1 billion, according to PYMNTS. Startups like ElevenLabs and OpenAI are delivering lifelike AI voice agents capable of handling customer support, sales, and service at scale.
  ‍Why it matters: The democratization of high-quality voice tech opens doors for OEMs of all sizes to build custom, reliable voice systems into their products.
  Source → PYMNTS

Future Outlook for Voice AI

• Real-World Ready: Spatial hearing and understanding are no longer optional — it’s foundational for voice tech that works where we live, drive, and move.
• Privacy-First: On-device AI is critical for fast, secure, and trusted in-vehicle interactions.
•  Personalization Wins: Customizable voices and UX are becoming key to brand differentiation.
• Startup-Driven Innovation: With funding booming, expect more rapid, affordable voice integration across industries.

What’s Your Take? 

Which voice-AI trend will define customer experience in 2025 and beyond — whether it’s the ear in the car, the assistant in the home, or the agent in your pocket? Send us a message, or subscribe here to stay updated on the latest in spatial hearing and intelligent voice UI.