We may still be a few years away from “robot butlers in every home.” However, Artificial Intelligence or AI is already making its way into our daily lives. Consider Google Assistant. It is a feature on the latest generation of Android phones and also is the main function of the Google Home smart speakers and displays. What is Google Assistant? It is a voice operated system that offers support for the user. That support can be anything that is accessed through a phone or the Internet. It is a lot like having that robot butler. It just can’t bring you a cup of coffee… yet.

Voice Commands

Google Assistant comes alive when you “wake it up” by saying, “Okay, Google” or “Hey, Google.” What follows the wake up can be a wide range of commands like reading back a recipe, setting a reminder for an appointment or getting directions. It can also help you maintain any smart home devices like a thermostat, lights and security systems. The number of commands you can ask Google to help with grows each day. The most popular option for users is to play back music from a collected music library on the phone. Consider some of these other popular commands:

• “Hey, Google, do I need an umbrella today?”
• “Hey, Google, what is the traffic like?”
• “Hey, Google, what is happening in the news?”
• “Hey, Google, remind me to buy milk when I’m at the grocery store.”
• “Hey, Google, what is on my calendar?”

In addition, the Google Assistant can tell you the time in any city on the planet, set alarms for waking up, calculate currency conversions and even order up an Uber. Best of all, it will never get annoyed if you ask an endless string of questions and commands and it would ever need to take a vacation. Try getting that from a human assistant!

The Development

The Google Assistant made its debut performance back in 2016. At that time, it was only available on the company’s Pixel phones. Today, it can be accessed from most Android devices. Yes, you can also download Google Assistant on your iPhone. Just don’t tell Siri!

At home, your integrated smart speakers can pick up a voice command from across the room. If you have your phone on at the same time, then whichever device is closer to your voice will provide the answers and support. Translation: You will never be far away from your Google Assistant.

In the home, there might be other family members who want to access the Google Assistant. It can recognize up to six distinct voices. You can also adapt the type of voice that Google uses. You can opt for male or female and even a voice with a British accent. That spins back to the butler concept! Are you ready to bring AI into your home?