virtual assistant
Facebook’s human-AI blend for audio transcription is now facing privacy scrutiny in Europe
Facebook’s lead privacy regulator in Europe is now asking the company for detailed information about the operation of a voice-to-text feature in Facebook’s Messenger app and how it complies with…
Amazon’s lead EU data regulator is asking questions about Alexa privacy
Amazon’s lead data regulator in Europe, Luxembourg’s National Commission for Data Protection, has raised privacy concerns about its use of manual human reviews of Alexa AI voice assistant recordings. A…
Amazon’s Alexa AI team has developed a new training method for the virtual assistant that could greatly improve its ability to handle tricky questions. In a blog post, team lead…
Google’s new version of Android Auto focuses on Assistant
Google is starting to roll out an updated version of its in-car platform, Android Auto, that aims to make it easier and safer for drivers to use. The version, which…
Money from big tech companies and top VC firms is flowing into the nascent “virtual beings” space. Mixing the opportunities presented by conversational AI, generative adversarial networks, photorealistic graphics, and…
Adobe brings Alexa integration to its XD prototyping tool
Adobe XD, the company’s increasingly popular prototyping and design tool, is getting support for testing Amazon Alexa voice experiences on devices like the Echo Dot and the Echo Show. This…
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Sam Lessin and Andrew Kortina on their voice assistant’s workplace pivot
The founders of Fin are betting on the consumerization of the enterprise.
Are women better gamers than men? This startup’s AI-driven research says yes
Last year the Gosu.ai startup, which has developed an AI assistant to help gamers play smarter and improve their skills, raised $1.9 million. Using machine learning, it analyzes matches and…
Amazon Alexa launches its first HIPAA-compliant medical skills
Alexa is moving into healthcare. Following a trial of Amazon’s smart speakers in patients’ rooms at Cedars-Sinai, the company this morning announced an invite-only program allowing select developers to create…
Over a quarter of US adults now own a smart speaker, typically an Amazon Echo
U.S. smart speaker owners grew 40 percent over 2018 to now reach 66.4 million — or 26.2 percent of the U.S. adult population — according to a new report from…
Roku this morning announced its devices will now be compatible with Amazon’s Alexa. Through a new Roku skill for Alexa, Roku owners will be able to control their devices in…
Cedars-Sinai puts Amazon Alexa in patient rooms as part of a pilot program
Los Angeles medical center Cedars-Sinai is currently piloting a program that places Amazon Echos in more than 100 patient rooms. The smart speakers use Aiva, a voice assistant platform for…
Here’s everything announced at Samsung’s Galaxy S10/Galaxy Fold event
Missed today’s Samsung Unpacked event in San Francisco? In all, we have five new phones — one of them a foldable — some new earbuds, a virtual assistant and a watch.…
Report: Voice assistants in use to triple to 8 billion by 2023
The use of voice assistants is set to triple over the next few years, according to a new forecast from the U.K.-based analysts at Juniper Research. The firm estimates there…
You can now use the Google Assistant to order an Uber or Lyft
If you ever wanted to use your Google Assistant to book a ride with Uber or Lyft, your wishes have been heard. Starting today, you’ll be able to use your…
Adobe introduces AI assistant to help Analytics users find deeper insights
Adobe Analytics is a sophisticated product, so much so that users might focus on a set of known metrics at the cost of missing key insights. Adobe introduced an AI-fueled…
Amazon’s big hardware event isn’t all about hardware — although there is plenty of that, too. Amazon also talked about how it’s making its virtual assistant Alexa smarter and more…
Apple’s Shortcuts will flip the switch on Siri’s potential
At WWDC, Apple pitched Shortcuts as a way to ”take advantage of the power of apps” and “expose quick actions to Siri.” These will be suggested by the OS, can…
Alexa will soon gain a memory, converse more naturally, and automatically launch skills
Alexa will soon be able to recall information you’ve directed her to remember, as well as have more natural conversations that don’t require every command to begin with “Alexa.” She’ll…
AI game trainer Gosu.ai raises $1.9M to give gamers a virtual assistant
If you play hardcore and competitive games, you want to win, so it would be useful to have someone leaning over your shoulder giving you tips on how to play…
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Samsung’s Galaxy S9 wants to turn the camera into a new home screen
Samsung’s Galaxy S9 is an update that mostly sticks to the look and feel of the previous generation device, which is probably a big reason why the company is focusing specifically on the flagship smartphone’s camera for this reveal. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ already had one of the better smartphone cameras in the industry,…
American Express announced today that it has acquired Mezi, the AI-based virtual travel assistant, for an undisclosed amount. After the deal closes, Mezi will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Express.…
AI voice assistant developer Rokid raises $100M Series B extension to build its US presence
Rokid, a Chinese startup that makes an AI voice assistant and smart devices, just raised a Series B extension round led by Temasek Holdings, with participation from Credit Suisse, IDG…
Vehicles made by Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia will include built-in virtual assistants with AI-powered smarts beginning in 2019 (via Engadget). The plan to build smart assistants into vehicles will…
The rumors had it right: Sony is rebooting its robot dog, Aibo, announcing a new four-legged companion AI-powered bot incoming with the same brand name but more rounded corners and visible…
Another AI chatbot shown spouting offensive views
Yandex, Russia’s homegrown Google rival — which offers a suite of similar products in its target non-U.S. markets, from search to webmail to maps — outed another equivalent offering earlier this…
Ecommerce giant Amazon has announced a new research center in Germany focused on AI and on improving customer experience especially in visual systems.
Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant will be your cockpit companion in future BMWs: The automaker will offer Alexa in select cars starting in 2018, Amazon announced today at a special event…
If you believe the hype, homes in the US are already lousy with speakers containing embodied AI — the most high profile being Amazon’s Echo, in its various incarnations, whose…
Microsoft unveils a Cortana-powered thermostat
The latest addition to the smart thermostat space is a product that includes Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant. We’re all familiar with the rise of the internet-enabled thermostats, thanks to the…
