Due to their high performance and versatility, virtual assistants immediately gained overwhelming popularity. These services are based on artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies that help them perform many tasks quickly and efficiently. Today, users have access to a wide range of virtual assistants. Each of them has its own features and advantages. We bring to your attention an overview of the three most popular such programs: Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri.
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Overview of virtual assistants
A virtual or personal assistant is a universal program designed to perform several tasks at the user's request. It is based on the Natural Language Processing (NLP) model, which allows it to recognize voice and text commands. Some programs also have a graphical interface for image processing. Most often, digital assistants are cloud services. This allows them to be integrated into many devices, both stationary and mobile. To use such an assistant, you only need a suitable device (for example, a smartphone) and Internet access.
One of the key functions of modern VA (virtual assistant) is the ability not only to recognize and process voice commands or questions but also to answer them using a voice synthesizer. The latest AI technologies significantly expand the capabilities of such programs through self-learning algorithms that make them more effective and personalized. For example, the best virtual assistant can remember the user's preferences, frequently used commands/questions, or other data.
Despite being hosted in the cloud, personal assistants are most often only available on the devices of their developers and their partners. For example, the Siri assistant released by Apple is installed on all Apple gadgets. Android devices are equipped with Google Assistant, while Cortana is designed for Microsoft devices. Every year, the capabilities of online assistants are steadily growing, thanks to the evolving technologies of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning). Today, most of them can perform the following tasks and functions:
- Search for various information on the Internet.
- Handling incoming and outgoing phone calls.
- Adding tasks/events to the calendar, and sending reminders about them.
- Remote monitoring and control of smart equipment (lighting and security systems, thermostats, video surveillance).
- Creating and sending text messages through different channels (SMS, email, instant messengers), processing incoming messages.
- Internet search and playback of news, weather forecasts.
- Drawing up routes on the map, and finding available ways to move between different locations.
- Checking flights.
- Search for hotels and restaurants.
- Selection of entertainment content: music, movies, videos, and games.
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, three programs are considered the most popular personal assistants: Siri from Apple, Alexa from Amazon, and Google Assistant from Google. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the features, functions, and benefits of these AI assistants.
Meet Siri
Siri is a virtual assistant developed by Apple in 2011 for iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and audioOS devices. It is controlled through voice prompts and gestures, as well as regular button presses. This assistant uses natural language processing technology to enable the system to process and respond to queries, provide recommendations, and manage integrated digital devices.
Apple Siri answers a person's questions using a built-in speech generator and displays all the necessary information on the screen of the device on which it is installed. This virtual assistant can also be used to dictate email, SMS, and other types of messages, handle incoming messages and perform a number of other tasks.
The functionality of Siri consists of three main components:
- Conversational interface.
- Context awareness.
- Delegation of tasks.
The first of them helps the program to recognize the human voice and understand what they want from it. This is one of the most important qualities for services of this type, so the developers paid special attention to it. The indisputable advantage of Siri is its ability to identify speech and respond in 20 languages. To launch the assistant, just say the universal wake-up phrase “Hey Siri” near any Apple device, including “smart” home devices.
An equally significant feature of this assistant is the context understanding system, which makes the intelligent program even more understandable. Thanks to her, she easily adapts to the habits and speech patterns of the user, as well as the words and expressions they often use. Contextual awareness helps Siri understand the user at a glance and provides them with personalized responses.
Task delegation allows the virtual assistant to access third-party applications on supported Apple devices with permission to manage them at the user's request. Unlike other assistants, Siri does not have a central hub device capable of receiving voice commands and reproducing speech. Most of all, the HomePod and HomePod Mini smart speakers are similar to it, but this is far from their main function.
A wide range of voice commands gives you access to the following Siri features:
- Call and message management (virtual assistant calls and writes to your contacts, sends email).
- Search for up-to-date information on the Internet (weather forecast, exchange rates, and so on), including well-known facts (for example, the population of a country).
- Planning events, setting reminders and timers.
- Manage device functions (for example, take a photo, turn Wi-Fi on/off).
- Advanced Internet search (images, posts in social networks, etc.).
- Laying the best routes and displaying the current situation on the roads.
- Translation of words and phrases between supported languages.
- App management on Apple devices.
- Search for information about entertainment events (for example, what's on today at the cinema).
- Manage transactions with Apple Pay.
Who is Alexa?
Alexa is a virtual assistant from Amazon that was released in 2014. Comparing Alexa and Siri, it is worth noting that the Amazon product has been in the lead in the US market for several years with more than 60% of the shares. We are talking about the Amazon Echo smart speaker, which is a central hub device for the AI assistant. In addition to it, the cloud program supports a number of other devices from third-party manufacturers. It can be seen on different devices: smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and more. If Alexa is not preinstalled on your device by default, you can download it yourself from the App Store or Google Play.
In most cases, the service is activated by the wake-up phrase "Alexa, open wake up", but on some devices, this function is not supported, so you have to start it by pressing a button. It supports 8 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi and Japanese. One of the key advantages of this personal assistant is its versatility.
Amazon allows third-party developers to integrate Alexa into their devices and control them with a virtual assistant. For these purposes, the Alexa Voice Service function is provided, which allows you to perform call forwarding and perform a number of other actions. Thus, developers can both create supported devices from scratch and implement the program into ready-made devices.
An important advantage of this virtual assistant is a large number of skills. As of today, it has already exceeded 25,000 and continues to grow. At the same time, Amazon also allows third-party developers to create new skills for smart assistants on their own. Thanks to them, users can flexibly control various functions of their devices through voice commands. The Alexa Skills Kit module is responsible for the formation of new skills.
Among the most popular features of this virtual assistant, it is worth highlighting the following:
- Play music, online radio, podcasts, and audiobooks.
- Search for news, sports events, and recipes.
- Checking the weather forecast.
- Smart home device management.
- Manage calendars and to-do lists, calls, and messages.
- Setting alarms and timers.
- Food delivery order.
- Shopping on Amazon.
Another useful Alexa feature is enterprise administration. It's called Alexa for Business and lets you use voice recognition to control your workplace and apps.
Separately, it is worth noting the Alexa for Hospitality module. It enables hotels, restaurants, and other HoReCa companies to provide their customers with voice access to service management.
Features of Google Assistant
If we compare Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri by the year of their release, we can see that Google has clearly lagged behind its competitors, releasing its personal assistant at the latest in May 2016. On the other hand, it allowed her to take into account the advantages and disadvantages of her predecessors. Today, the app is available for Android smartphones and tablets, as well as the Google Home smart speaker that controls your home, the Google Allo messenger app, and Android Wear smartwatches. In addition, the AI assistant is suitable for several other devices: smart displays, smart TVs, car systems, and so on.
Google Assistant is based on the Google Now personalized search service. Like other virtual assistants, it uses cognitive computing, machine learning, and voice recognition technologies. It is available on almost any device with Android version 5.0 and up. Moreover, even users of Apple products can install it.
To launch the program on older smartphones, just press and hold the "Home" button, and on modern models, you just need to swipe diagonally from any of the bottom corners of the screen. Assistant also supports voice activation with the wake-up phrase "OK Google".
Google Assistant commands can be given in over 40 languages. With it, users can:
- Manage gadgets and smart home devices.
- Get information from online calendars and manage them.
- Find all sorts of information on the Internet: from planning routes and choosing restaurants to check the news and weather forecast.
- Play music and video, and manage tracks.
- Play content on Chromecast or other compatible devices.
- Manage alarms, timers, and reminders.
- Administer meetings and events, and send messages.
- Run applications on the device and manage them.
- Play text notifications by voice.
- Translate text between supported languages and have it spoken.
Which virtual assistant is best?
Summing up our comparison of virtual voice assistants, it is worth noting that each of them has its own specifics and a set of advantages and disadvantages. The assistants described by us are not in vain considered top-notch. They were developed by the largest technology companies, so there is no clear leader or outsider among them. When choosing the best service, you should, first of all, be guided by which device and for what purposes you plan to use it.
In our opinion, the most versatile and functional among virtual personal assistants can be called Google Assistant. However, you should choose it if you prefer devices from Google or with Android OS. For die-hard fans of "apple" products, the choice is obvious - this, of course, is Siri. Moreover, it provides improved security and data protection. Amazon Alexa has its own key advantage - today it is the best solution for integrating with smart home systems.
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