Having a digital assistant that can anticipate your needs, remind you of important information, and perform the tasks you ask them to, is the ultimate dream for technophiles. While Apple has Siri and Android has, well, OK Google, they have their limitations, as well as not being able to cross over to other platforms. If these rumors are correct, Microsoft might just be able to bridge that gap and make your smartphone even smarter.
According to some people close to the project, Microsfot is looking at creating a digital assistant based on the technology they’ve acquired from their artificial intelligence project dubbed “Einstein”, which is of course named after that famous scientist. Windows already has an existing one named Cortana, but it is still just for Windows phones. It is still unconfirmed whether it will just be an update of this digital assistant or if it will be an altogether new product that will be offered to users of other platforms, including Android devices.
What Microsoft has confirmed is that they are indeed working on bringing the research they’ve obtained from Einstein to improve on Cortana. According to Eric Horovitz, managing director of Microsoft Research, the technology they’re working on is the ability to read emails and then make sense of it for the user. They want to develop the first intelligent “agent” that can anticipate the user’s needs. Hopefully, this will be something way better than their failed attempts before (remember Microsoft Bob and Clippy?)
Whether or not the rumors are true, having something like this on other platforms will go well with the strategy of current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to sell their software even on their rivals’ devices, instead of “forcing” people to just stick with their Windows software. “We’re defining the competitive landscape… of who can provide the most supportive services that make life easier, keep track of things, that complement human memory in a way that helps us get things done,” said Horovitz. And that should go well with your Android device too.
VIA: Reuters
