Digital Assistants -- From Search to Action feat. Christi Olson

I have been using Echo Auto for the last three weeks and testing how good this product works. What I can share with you now is that the ability for Alexa, the digital assistant, to understand commands while music is playing or under the ambient noise of driving in general is pretty impressive. This level of quality can also be said for other digital assistants like Siri, Cortana, ‘Hey Google’, and others. In episode #96, Head of Evangelism for Search for Microsoft, Christi Olson, shares how the world of digital assistants has gone from a place of search to a place of action. More and more, the way users interact with a digital assistant (also sometimes known as a voice assistant) leads to a particular action being performed. It’s like your significant other finishing your sentence. The traditional use cases are to ask a digital assistant, "Cortana, what is the address to Mandalay Bay Hotel?" This triggers the digital assistant’s search functionality. In normal human behavior, what comes next after inquiring about a location is…actually getting there. And this is where digital assistants are becoming a place of action. After Cortana replies with the address, the next question offered by Cortana is ‘Would you like me to take you there?” With more adoption of digital assistants in our homes, cars, and on our bodies (mobile phone), the practical applications are becoming more apparent. As stated in the 2019 Microsoft Voice Report which was authored by Olson, she describes the evolution of digital assistants and how businesses can think concretely about integrating this technology into a business.