The age of AI-driven virtual assistant is upon us. Advancements in artificial intelligence have given rise to virtual assistants that respond to commands such as turning off lights, automatic selection at buy vending machines and making online purchases. A virtual assistant (VR), which is also known as an AI assistant and digital assistant, is an application program that understands natural voice commands and responds in an appropriate manner. Virtual assistants are normally cloud-based programs and require internet-connected devices and applications for effective functioning. Microsoft’s Cortana, Apple’s Siri, Amazon Echo and Google Home have become commonplace worldwide. And Alexa and Google Assistant provide access to content in sync with personal choices.
Virtual assistants offer an in-depth perspective on our day-to-day lives and help us in executing various tasks. They analyze our sleep rhythms, television viewership habits and online buying behavior and make recommendations accordingly. The virtual assistant is the most promising avenue for the likes of Apple, Amazon and Google to further strengthen their respective ecosystems, with smart speakers such as Google Home, Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod acting as gateways to the parent ecosystems.
Artificial intelligence-based virtual assistants are still scratching the surface, with regard to facilitating an emotional connection with the users. Although virtual assistants such as Siri and Google Now are by-products of Artificial Intelligence, they cannot be classified as artificially intelligent because they operate on the basis of an algorithm.
Virtual Assistant technology will offer enhanced capabilities and personalization, going into the future. Voices developed from mathematical models will mirror human speech, enabling quicker voice creation and allowing each person to choose a unique voice as a virtual assistant. It will be possible to combine voice traits such as fusing the deep qualities of one voice with the unorthodox style of another. Voice control everywhere has already become the new normal, as manifested by the success of Amazon’s Alexa. Amazon’s assistant is an addition to what we own, rather than an embellishment to an existing product. In the smartphone industry, virtual assistants are scheduling tasks and answering simple questions, and there will soon come a time when they will be used to undertake navigation, answer complex calls and teach skill-sets. VA also has immense applications in the medical field, with VA – powered robots helping in surgical and treatment procedures.
Virtual assistants are becoming smarter each day and the AI that powers them is helping customers to get apt content at the right time. But humans will remain as important as ever. As of today, AI assistants are merely complementing information-gathering activities undertaken through the mobile and computer route, and completing simple tasks. In order to become genuinely intelligent, the AI assistants will need to understand the end user better. Humanity is faced with immense opportunities in disease management, renewable energy, climate change and interplanetary exploration. Will intelligence systems be in a position to tackle these issues better than human beings, and will we listen if virtual assistants call the shots, is the moot question?