The creators of Siri have announced a brand new creation from their brilliant minds, the artificial intelligence assistant named Viv.
Apple based Siri has become both a technological powerhouse, and a cultural touchstone. Now the creators behind it have moved on to the next stage.
Viv is a more advanced AI that works by connecting to multiple sources of information and drawing responses right from the pools of data themselves. No more regurgitating web search results; this assistant is smarter, sleeker, and more accurate. Not to mention more knowledgeable, with the ability to jump from source to source to bring back the best possible answer.
Testing Viv AI With Pizza Toppings
At Disrupt NYC, the engineers involved in the testing process spoke about their first test of Viv. They asked the Viv AI.to order four pizzas from a local establishment, without searching for a phone number, placing a call, or downloading an app. Throwing out multiple toppings, size changes, and orders, they left it up to the digital assistant to work out the rest.
While there was a minor problem with the address that was quickly caught and solved, the pizza order was placed and they arrived within 40 minutes. All were correct, despite the order being largely depending on a program to pass along.
This success, though it may seem minor, was the first proof that the secretive four year project was really making headway. Since then they have tested it many times, and it has finally be unveiled.
How It Works
Similar to the way marketplaces like Amazon operate, Viv AI is empowered by third party networking. It connects directly to a vendor, and makes purchases, appointments and inquiries without use of a search engine proxy like Google or Bing.
This sets it apart from Siri or Cortana, both of which are hindered by those limitations put in place by searches.
“It’s about taking the way that humans have naturally interacted with each other for thousands of years and applying that to the way they interact with services,” Chief Executive Dag Kittlaus explained. “Everyone knows how to hold a conversation.”
Now our VIV AI will be able to hold a conversation, as well. At least, that is the aim of this new release.
While it isn’t yet at the level developers in the AI field hope for (or those critics of the same developing technology fear), it is a big leap from what is currently on the market.
