Many discussions around artificial intelligence (AI) have focused on the new developments in machine learning, such as assisting with cancer recognition and even detecting earthquakes. However, the use of AI in the creation of a virtual assistant is starting to gain some traction. A recent article from VentureBeat stated that 2017 is the year that “virtual assistants really arrived.” In this post, we wanted to look at the rise of virtual assistants and how they could change the way we work.

The New PC

It is hard to imagine an office desk these days without a computer. Whether in the form of a laptop or PC (sometimes both), these tools of business are often taken for granted. What has changed in the last few years is how we interact with these now-commonplace devices. The release of Windows 10 in mid-2015 saw the introduction of its new virtual assistant Cortana, which came built into its operating system. Apple followed suit when it integrated its previously-mobile-centred assistant Siri into its latest Sierra operating system. These developments opened the door for employees to be able to interact with their computers using their voice, rather than the traditional keyboard and mouse. As such, the integration of these virtual assistants has essentially redefined the way we work with computers. However, the significant developments have been in how our voices are recognised by these assistants.

Natural Language Processing – Making AI More Human

The key to the success of AI lies in natural language processing (NLP), which is the ability of the device to understand a human’s verbal language. In previous years, NLP was developed by experts in the field of computer science and computational linguistics, but with the advent of machine learning, it is the device itself that making further advances. The key example of this is Amazon’s Echo. The Echo (and smaller-scale Echo Dot) are AI assistants that are powered by Amazon’s own voice-recognition technology, Alexa. Alexa is cloud-based technology that enables the Echo devices to adapt to person’s speech patterns and vocabulary. The more the end user interacts with the Echo device, the smarter the device becomes.

The Desktop Echo

In addition to the Echo’s inherent machine learning capability, many businesses are benefitting from the range of downloadable “skills” that can be added to an Echo device. Some of these skills include scheduling events, answer phone calls and even check your website’s latest analytics. What’s more, this skill base is growing quickly, with the total number reaching the thousands in early-2017. Reading about these developments made us recall how Microsoft was founded in 1975 with the goal of putting “a computer on every desk.” Fast forward to 2017, and we are able to verbally interact with these now-ubiquitous computers. What is fascinating is to think that, one day, this could extend to businesses seeing an Amazon Echo device on every desk.

At Comunet, we see extraordinary potential for AI to change business processes. The idea of virtual assistants becoming more commonplace, however, shows how AI is fast becoming more personable and naturally interactive. So regardless of whether you are using Siri, Cortana or perhaps an Echo device of your own, we would encourage you to consider how to use the advances of AI and machine learning for your benefit and the benefit of your team. If you want to be a part of this exciting future, be sure to talk to us today. We would love to help you talk to your devices like never before!