Improving Human-to-Machine Conversations

Why do we talk to machines?  Mostly because it is faster and easier to get the information you need versus typing.  There is a wealth of information available to us now with a quick spoken question; arguments over stats or trivia end instantly now, you have the answer with just a voice query.  Find out who won the World Series in 1985: “Hey Alexa, who won the world series in 1985?”  “The answer is the Kansas City Royals.”  

However, business use of voice response technology can be slower to innovate.  How many times do you still have to “Push 1 for account balance, 2 for speaking to an agent?”, or hear “Sorry, I didn’t get that?”  What is on the horizon to improve these business conversations for a better customer experience?  And what has changed recently that has enhanced voice bots to the point of a human-like conversation?