Could you live without Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant?

Other regular applications for the included 24% as a kitchen assistant (recipes, portion measures and timings), online shopping 13%, joke-telling 9%, and 6% as instructors during home workouts.

Forty percent of owners said they liked their VC speakers because using them made them feel more relaxed, 34% liked their time-saving benefits (21% said they save now one-two hours a day on tasks on average), and 32% said they had improved their life by making time pass when they felt bored or lonely.

Sixty four percent of adults questioned said they started using their speakers more once they realised how effective they were and 34% confirmed their children also used the technology under their supervision. (one in five without supervision)

The worldwide study by HARMAN also found amongst UK owners 54% of adults expected to further increase their usage of the technology this year because they have discovered 46% new applications and uses, 25% because they have found it fun and engaging so want to use more and 26% because they have also invested in smart home technology which they can control using their voice.

Thirty nine percent of UK owners expect to use their VC speaker because they have realised how much time it saves them.

Michael Mauser, Executive Vice President and President Lifestyle Audio at HARMAN, said: “Whether your voice control speakers are powered by Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant, the voice-controlled smart speaker is here to stay and is rapidly becoming a must-have device for the home. As our study found, voice technology is engaging and entertaining for people across all generations and people love the time-saving benefits.”