For example:
“What are the closest restaurants to me?”
4. Improvement of voice assistant technology and conversational interfaces.
We cannot forget about voice assistants. These smart devices understand voice commands and allow users to make queries on the web; this technology has also been making its way for some years, while gaining strength with the appearance of various assistants.
According to the consulting firm Gartner, the voice assistant market will be worth $3.52 billion worldwide by 2021, far exceeding the $360 million it represented in 2015.
Voice assistants include:
-Siri: an artificial intelligence program that functions as a personal assistant. The application uses natural language processing to answer questions, make recommendations and carry out actions . It is aimed at those who use the iOS operating system.
-Cortana: virtual assistant created by Microsoft for Windows 10. Designed to provide answers, perform basic tasks, make announcements and contribute to the use of devices.
-Bixby: Developed by Samsung Electronics, this virtual assistant allows users to focus on what is really important.
Bixby learns what users like to do as it interacts with them. It also works with apps and services to help get things done .
-Google Now: personal assistant, available within the Google Search mobile application for Android operating systems.
Google Now's features include: providing answers, informing about oil and gas email list upcoming events, setting reminders, searching for places of interest, choosing topics of interest, etc.
-Google Assistant: A virtual assistant developed with artificial intelligence. It is mainly available on mobile devices and smart home devices. Google Assistant can participate in two-way conversations .
Among other functions, this virtual assistant can: browse the web, play music and make translations.
-Amazon Echo: smart speaker, whose functionalities include: giving answers and playing music . The device responds to the name Alexa .
-Google Home: smart speaker, it has the same functions as Google Assistant. But it is different because it is an independent device; it can play audio and be used as a “brain” to control other devices .
Although these players are the most active, new competitors are expected to emerge in the coming years, according to the consulting firm Gartner.
In its 2017 annual report, Gartner indicated that conversational user interfaces are one of the trends that should gain greater popularity in the next 5 to 10 years.
