When AI Gets a Body: The Next Step After Voice Assistants

Ten years ago, we were stunned when our phones started talking back to us. Siri told jokes, Alexa played our favourite songs, and our Google Assistant helped us with traffic. While voice assistants have been helpful, they were always invisible, a voice in the box. Well, now we are in the middle of something special, AI is getting a body and moving forward from Voice Assistants.

The moment AI becomes embodied intelligence, rather than disembodied voices, represents a significant advance in artificial intelligence. Soon, your AI will not only talk to you, it will see you, walk with you, and engage with you physically in this world. This next step will change the way we live, work, and connect.

When AI Gets a Body

Voice assistants were the first real leap toward natural interaction with machines. Apple launched its Siri voice assistant in 2011, which was followed by Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. These AIs could listen, understand, and respond to something that once seemed out of reach.

Voice assistants could talk, but they couldn’t engage in a physical way. They were intelligent, but the knowledge and capabilities were disembodied voices trapped in a phone. As humans, though, we want physical presence. We communicate not only with words but also with gestures and expressions, and touch. This is why the next evolution for AI was pretty obvious: putting AI in a body.

Next Step After AI Voice Assistants

Current voice assistants (Siri or Alexa, to name a couple) are excellent examples of Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) oriented towards a narrow set of functions (answering questions, setting timers, etc.). The next steps in AI involve systems that are able to physically interact with their environment. This transition is promoted by an increasing number of elements:

• Physical Interaction: Embodied AI will go beyond processing information in virtual space to executing physical actions in the “real world” (navigating a room, manipulating objects, executing physical labour, etc).
• Sensorimotor Learning: Embodied AI systems will utilise the same physical process as humans and animals; learning through sensory and physical experiences. When equipped with top-of-the-line sensors (cameras, LiDAR, tactile sensors, microphones), the embodied agents will collect and process multimodal data and learn through trial-and-error ways to adapt their behaviour to new experiences, environments, etc.
• Contextual Understanding: Given physical presence and real-time sensor data, these AI agents will have a physical form that supports an inherent, experiential understanding of their environment and the physical laws governing it. Disembodied software lacks genuine, experienced understanding.

Challenges in the Development of AI Voice Assistants

One of the significant transformative forces in technology in recent years is undoubtedly AI voice assistants: the way we interact with devices, retrieve information, or organise our daily activities. Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cortana – this list continues and spans various devices, including smartphones and even vehicles. However, as AI voice assistants gain prominence, the challenges they present are also being addressed by developers and researchers. 

Natural Language Understanding (NLU)

While advancements in machine learning and natural language processing have made it feasible to enhance these systems, human language remains complex. Variations in dialects, accents, slang, and colloquialisms add layers of difficulty. For example, a voice assistant trained primarily on American English may struggle with British slang or regional dialects. Additionally, human communication heavily relies on context. 

User Privacy and Data Security

‍The introduction of voice assistants into daily life raises significant concerns regarding user privacy and data security. Typically, these voice assistants need access to personal information to enhance their functionality and tailor responses.

‍

Multimodal Interaction

‍Voice assistants have traditionally relied on auditory input and output, which may present limitations in specific situations. The incorporation of visual feedback is believed to enhance user experience, particularly when addressing complex tasks.

‍

Emotional Intelligence

‍Although voice assistants can comprehend commands and provide information, they cannot largely recognise and respond to human emotions. The assistant ought to react appropriately with expressions of frustration, joy, or confusion.

‍

Language and Cultural Diversity

‍The expanding market for global voice assistants necessitates that developers possess versatility in various languages and cultures. A voice assistant that is effective in one language may not perform well in another due to differences in idioms, cultural references, and communication styles.

Benefits of AI voice assistants

• AI voice assistants provide numerous advantages that simplify both personal and professional aspects of life. 
• Primarily, they enhance manageability as many tasks can be executed through hands-free commands, such as sending messages, setting reminders, and controlling smart home devices, which significantly reduces time spent on daily activities. 
• This hands-free capability also allows for multitasking, enabling individuals to manage work and personal matters more efficiently.
• In addition, AI voice assistants are continually refined with each update and improvement, which enhances both functionality and user experience.
• This adaptability is crucial as it allows users to take advantage of the latest technological innovations through updates instead of needing to purchase new devices.

Frequently Asked Questions On When AI Gets a Body