Artificial intelligence has transformed our lives in more ways than one. AI is used in retail, healthcare, marketing, and many other industries.
We live in a fast-paced world, and people want easy access to the information they need. That’s why tech companies developed digital assistants. Digital assistants use artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and machine learning to provide a personalized user experience.
What Can Digital Assistants Do?
Digital assistants are created to help people with daily tasks. They can set reminders, read emails and messages, call people, and ultimately control smart homes. They’re usually voice-activated and let users turn their phones, speakers, and smartwatches into hands-free devices. These are some of the best assistants out there.
Siri – Does More
Siri is possibly the most famous digital assistant created to help its users stay connected. It’s designed for Apple users, and it can remind people to make necessary calls, turn the speakers on, and announce the incoming calls via AirPods.
However, Siri is not just used for testing. It can set up an alarm, provide users with maps, help split the bill, and act as a literal office assistant to remind users about meetings and tasks. This assistant can be connected to the smart home and control appliances as well.
Google Assistant – Secure and Private
Google Assistant is available for Android and iPhone devices. It can connect to smart speakers, cars, TVs, watches, and numerous other devices. It can be used to control a smart home, manage tasks, and shop online.
Compared to Siri, it’s better at composing messages via voice, is a little smarter, and supports more third-party devices. It has simple privacy controls, and users can rest assured knowing their information is safe at all times.
Cortana – Increases Productivity
Developed by Microsoft, Cortana is a great digital assistant that helps users do more with less effort. It’s created to increase productivity and manage emails, provide daily briefings, organize meetings, and more.
The latest updates came with new functionalities, like integration with Microsoft To Do, specialized insights for people managers, and the PlayMyEmails feature. This makes Cortana a perfect digital assistant for managers and business owners.
Bixby – Understands Natural Language
Samsung’s Bixby first became available in 2017 on Samsung Galaxy S8. It was designed to work on other Samsung devices, like Samsung’s Family Hub fridges and TVs. People use it to text, get weather information, set reminders, and see the news.
Bixby can learn individual voices, which leads to better personalization. It’s also contextually aware, meaning it can take the right actions based on the requests. This digital assistant also lets users mix voice and touch. It understands natural language, meaning it can understand incomplete information and still provide the answers.
Alexa – A Famous Voice Assistant
Amazon Alexa is another famous digital voice assistant. It’s available for various devices, like speakers, smartphones, and smart displays. It can play music, deliver news, provide weather information, control the smart home, and even take orders for Amazon Prime users.
It’s created to help users achieve more only with their voice, without the need to push a button or tap the screen. Most Alexa-powered devices are always listening, and once they hear the wake word and the command, they’ll go into action.
How Safe Are Digital Assistants?
While having all the devices connected and ready to serve, it’s good to know that even the best digital assistants can become vulnerable. A team of researchers demonstrated that Siri, Bixby, and Google Assistant could be hacked using ultrasonic waves. Alexa had a security bug that allowed access to voice history. Even Cortana had a security flaw that allowed hackers to break into computers.
Luckily, there are ways to increase security. Users of these devices should be aware of which devices they connect. They can also delete the commands, turn off the microphone, and enable voice recognition. This will improve the safety of digital assistants.
Final Notes
Digital assistants are the latest tools that help people stay organized and productive. Siri, Alexa, and Google are some of the best assistants out there. These handy programs can read emails, set reminders, and control many devices in a smart home to provide the ultimate experience of connectivity.
Get in touch with us if you want to learn more about digital assistants and how to use them for your business.
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