One of the primary reasons why artificial intelligence, or AI, was developed is to integrate the advancement of technology and use it as an innovative tool to help machines and computers understand human language and simple commands.
What was first conceived as a “field of research” in the 1950s, software is now an integral part of our society. From customer service to innovations in healthcare, AI provides unprecedented support to streamline tasks ranging from the simplest to the most complex.
AI has made its way to our households. These so-called “mobile butlers” are essential add-ons to our daily lives, making it more convenient, connected to the information superhighway, and offering smart solutions for homes.
𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘: 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐀
Amazon Alexa, or simply Alexa, was developed in 2013 after the American tech firm bought Ivona, a Polish maker that uses text-to-speech functionality.
Although Amazon first used it for their Echo Smart Speaket or line, the now popular virtual assistant used Natural Language Processing, or NLP, for voice interaction such as music playback, playing podcasts and audiobooks, and providing real-time weather and traffic updates.
Now, Alexa is embedded in most home automated systems and smart devices. Users can install additional “skills” to Alexa through third-party apps to enhance its capabilities. From here, homeowners can adjust practically anything from lights to temperature to even a doorbell.
𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋-𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃: 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭
Modern families who want to be informed about the latest news and updates might want to go with Google Assistant in their homes.
For one, you can’t go wrong in choosing a virtual assistant created by the best search engine on the market. Family members can seamlessly integrate their day-to-day tasks with Google’s long list of services, such as Calendar, Gmail, and Photos.
Students can also take advantage of Assistant to manage their schedules, set certain reminders, and provide answers to some of their queries.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑: 𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐈
Apple’s Siri
Families who advocate Cupertino’s own will benefit from the many services of Siri when it comes to devices and home management.
It’s no secret that Siri is deeply embedded into Apple’s ecosystem. Products like the iPhone, Mac, and Smart Speaker HomePod also capitalize on Siri’s overall compatibility and control over Apple’s HomeKit products like the Nanoleaf Smart LED Light, Aqara Hub M2, and Camera Hub G2H Pro, among others.
There is also Apple’s knack for user privacy. The company is known to padlock all information with state-of-the-art security, thus making Siri the best option to send important messages and set up meetings and reminders and other sensitive information without the risk of leaking it.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄: 𝐁𝐈𝐗𝐁𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀
Launched in 2017 by the South Korean giant, Bixby is Samsung’s entry to the growing mobile virtual assistant landscape and the replacement for the defunct S Voice.
Much like what Apple did to Siri, Samsung also made Bixby compatible across all of their devices, from smartphones and TVs to smart appliances. As an example, Bixby Vision turns your smartphone camera into an augmented reality snapper, while Bixby Home (now known as “Samsung Free”) controls compatible smart home gadgets, weather, and fitness activity.
On the flip side, Cortana by Microsoft is your all-in-one productivity VA that embraces Windows-based devices and Office applications.
Cortana is ideal for families who are always on the go and constantly work using Microsoft Office Suite, while at the same time, it comes with the ability to sync all of these across multiple devices.
