Key Takeaways
- Tech giants are pushing conversational voice assistants like Gemini Live, but people may not want to talk to their devices.
- Although voice interaction has advantages, such as hands-free convenience, it is not suitable for all situations.
- While voice assistants have their uses, companies may be overestimating the demand for voice interaction.
In science fiction, talking to a computer has been portrayed as the pinnacle of user interaction. Star Trek Characters will be able to seamlessly interact with the technology to do everything from hailing a self-driving car to making you a hot Earl Grey.
Like many things these days, what was once science fiction is now reality. Voice Assistant Voice assistants that allow you to talk to your phone or computer have existed for some time, but recent developments in AI are making these voice assistants much smarter.
Last week, Google Gemini Live Conversational voice assistants with near-instant responses are available now. Android smartphone OpenAI is rolling out its own updates Chat GPT Voice Mode. With big players like Apple, Google, and OpenAI focusing on voice capabilities, it raises a real question: do we really want to talk to our phones and other devices?
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Gemini Live is a new entrant in the world of conversational voice assistants
Google Assistant has been replaced with a smarter version
Google is the first to introduce the Gemini update feature. Google I/O 2024 Back in May. Made by Google new Pixel 9 Finally, it was announced that the new feature would be released for Android smartphones on the same day, and we got to see Gemini Live in action.
However, some cool features aren’t ready yet, like the ability to integrate Gemini with apps like Keep, Tasks, and Calendar, and Gemini Live can’t currently pull information from live video feeds, which was arguably the most impressive feature announced back in May.
But the live demonstration was still pretty impressive, showing how to choose from 10 different voices. Google Gemini (None of them look like Scarlett Johansson.) Afterwards, I used Gemini Live to brainstorm some fun and educational things I could do with my niece and nephew, with suggestions from Gemini Live including making a homemade volcano and making my own invisible ink.
Even if it becomes much more natural than before, it’s unlikely anyone will truly enjoy talking to an AI assistant.
Jenny Blackburn, who works on Gemini experiences at Google, had multiple interactions with Gemini Live and got helpful information about the experiment, whether it was messy, ideas for creatively naming the experiment, etc. The conversation felt natural and there was no long silence that has plagued previous voice assistants, and she was able to interrupt when needed.
At the end of the demo, Blackburn shared her thoughts: “The experience is really great. I love being able to talk to Gemini and take it in any direction.” But her words don’t ring completely true, which isn’t surprising, since few people really like talking to AI assistants, even if they’re a lot more natural than they used to be.
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ChatGPT Voice and Siri will also become smarter
ChatGPT Voice and Siri updates coming soon
Gemini Live is clearly trying to get ahead of the latest update to ChatGPT Voice, which was announced in May but is only available to a small number of users as a preview. Chat GPT Voice is very similar to Gemini Live: near-instant response, interruption option, ability to glean information from live video feed, etc. However, while Gemini Live introduced the first two features, ChatGPT Voice has yet to receive these upgrades. It will likely be a while before live video is available on either model.
Let’s not forget the voice assistant that started it all. Siri may not yet have the same features as Google Gemini or ChatGPT Voice, but iOS18 Update we’re introducing some big improvements that will make talking to Siri feel much more conversational: First, the Assistant will finally be able to remember previous parts of a conversation, eliminating the need to repeat important information with every prompt.
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There are many reasons why you might not want to talk to your devices.
Voice communication comes with a variety of problems
As companies push ahead with AI voice assistants, the question is: do we really want to talk to our phones and computers? We’ve had the ability to do that for a long time. Siri Since 2011, Alexa has Echo Speaker They’ve been working on JARVIS since 2014, and in 2015 they were able to build a simplified version of it using an Xbox Kinect sensor and a laptop. But, in the words of Jeff Goldblum, the tech company Done When we get our devices to talk to us, they Should.
I have an Echo device at home, I have Siri on my wrist, I also have ChatGPT Voice. Home Assistant It’s a setup you can use to control your smart home in ways that Siri or Alexa can’t.
The problem is, I barely use them. Talking to my phone or computer doesn’t make me feel like Michael Knight or Jean-Luc Picard. Changed the wake word Setting the voice on my Echo device to “Computer” makes me feel like a self-conscious idiot talking loudly when I shouldn’t.
Technology companies are
Done
When we get our devices to talk to us, they
Should
.
I don’t think I’m alone: ​​several of my colleagues at Pocket-lint also admit that they hate talking to their devices. Anecdotes aren’t proof, but here’s something else that might be: Even before smartphones came along, if you wanted to get in touch with someone on the phone, you had two options: call or send a message. Which do you think you used most? SMS Messages Though initially conceived as a secondary feature, by 2007 it had surpassed phone calls to become the most common form of communication on mobile phones. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp eventually replaced SMS, but the basic principle remains the same. We prefer to type messages rather than speak them out loud.
Talking to a machine when you’re alone is embarrassing enough, what about in public? Honestly, I’ve never used a voice assistant out loud in public when other people are around, and I’ve never seen anyone else do so. Having a full-blown conversation with ChatGPT or Gemini when other people are around? It’s embarrassing to even think about.
Voice should be used where appropriate
There are definitely times when audio is more convenient
Omid Armin on Unsplash
That’s not to say there aren’t times and places where a powerful voice assistant like ChatGPT Voice or Gemini Live can be useful — there are also times when using your hands just isn’t practical and they can be much more useful.
What you can do Ask Alexa Starting a timer to cook chicken by voice is much more convenient than pulling out your phone with your hands when you’ve just cut up the chicken. Being able to use a voice assistant while driving is also incredibly helpful, allowing you to do things that aren’t possible while driving, like opening up that perfectly curated road trip playlist that you forgot to start playing before you set off.
I also saw some posts on Reddit where people were talking about what they were using AI chatbots for, and to my surprise, some of the responses said they were simply using the chatbot as a conversation partner. A lifelike voice chatbot that sounds like you’re talking to a real human could be a really useful support tool for people with social anxiety or who feel lonely.
After all, voice assistants can be useful in the right circumstances.
I also use ChatGPT Voice to practice my Italian conversations. It’s a handy tool that allows me to have an AI gently correct me when I say something wrong, without the worry of sounding stupid in front of real Italian speakers. ChatGPT Voice gives me the opportunity to practice my Italian conversations much more than I could with a real Italian speaker. Duolingo .
Ultimately, voice assistants are useful in the right circumstances. But the big companies seem to think we crave the ability to interact via voice more than we actually want it. When these companies charge for the privilege, as they do now with both Gemini Live and ChatGPT Voice, it feels like a wasted effort. The good news is that science fiction suggests we’ll soon be able to silently control computers with our minds. Let’s hope it happens.
