In a recent LinkedIn post, Stacy Sherman, CSP®. MBA, a customer experience strategist, highlights a significant disconnect between consumer adoption of voice technology and its implementation by businesses. Sherman points out that while consumers are increasingly comfortable interacting with AI via voice, many companies remain reliant on traditional text-based communication, potentially leading to a less human-sounding customer experience.
Sherman emphasizes the growing trend of voice interaction, citing the 2026 Annual State of Voice Report. She notes:
“According to 2026 Annual State of Voice Report*, 55% of consumers now use voice as their primary way of interacting with AI, yet only 29% of companies have deployed customer-facing voice AI.”
The Missed Opportunity in Customer Connection
The core of Sherman’s argument is that voice AI offers a unique opportunity for brands to build deeper emotional connections with their customers. While acknowledging that complex issues still require genuine human authenticity, she argues that for routine interactions, voice can convey tone, empathy, and warmth in ways that typed responses cannot.
“For everyday interactions, Voice AI allows brands to convey tone, empathy, and warmth, creating an emotional connection that typing back can’t match,” Sherman writes. This capability, she suggests, is being underutilized by many businesses, creating a potential competitive disadvantage.
Identifying Barriers to Voice AI Adoption
Sherman probes the reasons behind this widespread hesitancy among decision-makers, posing a direct question to business leaders about the core obstacles to deploying voice AI. She outlines four primary choices that may explain the gap between consumer usage and business adoption:
- Fear: The potential risk of misusing voice technology and damaging existing customer trust.
- Comfort with the Status Quo: Leadership’s reluctance to deviate from established practices and invest in new technologies.
- No Clear ROI: Insufficient proof or data to justify the financial investment in voice AI solutions.
- No Clear Ownership or Plan: A lack of accountability and fragmented responsibility across multiple cross-functional teams, hindering execution.
Sherman actively encourages engagement, inviting readers to vote on the primary reason and share alternative explanations in the comments section of her post. This interactive approach underscores her commitment to understanding the practical challenges businesses face.
The Imperative for Human-Centric AI
As Sherman, CSP®. MBA, points out, the technology for voice AI is readily available. The delay, in her view, stems from a human element – the hesitation of decision-makers to embrace change and invest in a technology that could significantly enhance the customer experience. She challenges businesses to consider the long-term implications of not adopting more human-centric communication methods.
“Your competitors are about to sound more human than you,” Sherman warns, framing voice AI not just as a technological upgrade, but as a crucial differentiator in building and maintaining customer relationships in an increasingly digital world.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Stacy Sherman, CSP®. MBA on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on April 9, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →