Evolution of Alexa : ACJ - JKLU Chapter
As we hear throughout many years, one of the focuses of AI is to teach machines to engage more naturally with us. For this, Amazon is running one of the largest global experiments to create a natural interface with it’s personal assistant, Alexa.
Alexa was developed by Amazon in 2014. Today this digital voice became widely known because of its powerful capabilities, some great amusement skills and some really cool self deprecating commercials.
Let’s get back to 2014, Amazon launched ECHO in the market, initially Amazon represented it as a Smart Speaker for Music Controlling and Some more little features. But when the smart assistant powered this Echo device then Echo converted into A home hub from a handy music device and made Echo an intelligent device. The idea of voice assistant was successful because of its simplicity: we could get some necessary information or control the music without even moving. The great thing about this Echo device is it’s connectivity range, it can even exhibit your commands from another room. This is the time where the electronics companies started developing lightbulbs, robot vacuums and even saltcellars. So that, these all appliances can be controlled through Alexa.
After the great success of Amazon in building Alexa, Google, Apple and Microsoft started moving towards this smart home hub too. However, by that time the market was totally filled with Echo Devices which have Alexa In-built.
Alexa is a product that you didn’t quite know you needed. And once you get it, and you get it into the home and experience it, you can easily understand how technology in this way, voice and a voice interface can really simplify technology for you. When Alexa launched, for the company it’s harder to make clients or prepare pitches because it performs only a few things. But now after many years, it seems to be easy because it can perform many or more than many things today. Alexa is capable of doing Thousands of skills now with it’s Voice Assisting Capabilities.
Why Voice is Important For Alexa?
Well, first, voice is the most natural and simple interface that we have. Most of us have learned since birth. That was the primary communication that we had. And, so for Amazon, it was important to build an experience that was based primarily with a voice interface. And, so when Amazon designed their product, Echo- the hardware device itself. Initially it was built without a screen. A device without a screen forced the developers to really think through, what would the interface be or the interaction model be for a voice experience? Echo didn’t actually have a screen to utilize as a backup or as a crutch when something went wrong with voice commands. And it made it more difficult for them, because when you have an interaction with a virtual voice then that virtual voice should understand what you are trying to say and reply accordingly. So, when we request something or give a command to Alexa then Alexa has to first understand what we are wanting from her, the ASR side of it. And then Alexa has to understand the context, NLU (the Natural Language Understanding) and Alexa really have only one or two opportunities to deploy an action on a command or a request.
Arguably, voice is the most human interface. And other living beings have protolanguages to communicate. But as far as we know, we are the only things in the universe who use voice communication. This also means that humans also have very high expectations from a virtual voice.
After so many updates in Alexa, Alexa started developing its own personality like Siri(Sarcastic tone after irritating). Actually the team behind this virtual assistant is responsible for its personality. This personality actually came through iterations. And just sort of naturally. The personality, the way that we think about Alexa, is smart, helpful, humble and a bit of humor. And you all could Argue how funny she is.
Most devices which are powered by Alexa allow us to activate it using a wake word(Alexa or Amazon). If we are using Alexa’s Application on our ANDROID or IOS device then we have to activate it’s listening mode first. As of November 2018, Amazon had more than 10,000 employees which were working on Alexa or on similar voice assistant softwares or a hardware device like Echo. In 2019, Amazon announced that they had sold over 100 million Alexa-enabled devices.
In September 2019, Amazon launched many new devices achieving many records while competing with the world’s smart home industry. The new Echo Studio became the first smart speaker with 360 sound and Dolby sound. Other new devices included an Echo dot with a clock behind the fabric, a new third-generation Amazon Echo, Echo Show 8, a plug-in Echo device, Echo Flex, Alexa built-in wireless earphones, Echo buds, Alexa built-in spectacles, Echo frames, an Alexa built-in Ring, and Echo Loop. Currently we have many Alexa enabled devices which were launched at different time intervals after the launch of ECHO in 2014.
Now, Amazon has launched different devices with Alexa inside such as ECHO (For Home), ECHO DOT (For home), ECHO SHOW (Screen built-in), ECHO AUTO (For Automobiles), FIRE STICK (To control TV) and many more devices. ECHO DOT is famous among all these devices.
The most affordable Voice Assistant home hub is Echo Dot. Which was launched in March 2016. It is the hockey puck sized version of the Echo. Till now we have the fourth generation of Echo Dot which was launched in October 2020. Echo Dot is famous among various Echo or Alexa devices because of its small size, it’s portable and pocket friendly too.
Voice interfaces still have to adjust as per the need of the modern or upcoming users before technology becomes commonly used. There are still some challenges left to overcome by the developers which is: Voice Control has to be clear and comprehensible - Manufacturers have to optimize skill discovery to help users and to equate developers. They really have to reconsider customer choice in order to organize unrestricted completions.
But with the number of people involved in the technology development team of Amazon, we can imagine that Alexa will evolve really fast and interestingly. Alexa’s popularity, unbelievable Capabilities and massive budget made Amazon a leader and an influencer in this new era of VIRTUAL VOICE. No doubt, there will be a lot of cases where Alexa skill would replace the existing device, service or application. This market is huge and opened to experiments, so anyone can give it a boost. And we can build it up together, experiencing voice interfaces as a new level of human-machine interaction.
Author: Manan Jain
Mentors: Harshaditya Gaur, Muskaan Jain
Community: Amazon Alexa Community, Jaipur — JKLU Chapter
