By David Pierce
Every night, just before I go to sleep, I walk the dog, put my
computer to sleep, flip off the TV, run around turning off all the
lights, lock the front door and finally climb into bed. (There's
teeth-brushing in there somewhere, too.) I don't exactly dread the
runaround, but I'd rather have extra sleep.
And when I cozy up under the covers, only to notice the bathroom
light is still on? My kingdom for a better way.
My virtual assistant desperately wants to help me. Google
Assistant, Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri -- even Samsung's Bixby and
others -- have begun allowing users to set up "routines" that
combine many actions into a single command.
Shout "OK Google, good morning!" at your smart speaker and it
can (in theory) open the blinds, turn on the lights, show you
traffic and your calendar and turn on NPR. Tell Alexa to start a
dance party, and watch it turn on the disco ball and fire up the
"Glitter and Glowsticks" playlist.
These routines embody what virtual assistants are meant to do,
connecting all our gadgets and services and making everything work
together. All you have to do is ask. And maybe not even that --
these tools aim to get to know you so well, they'll anticipate your
needs.
But these multistep systems are complicated to create, and they
often require buying "smart" accessories and memorizing specific
phrases.
At the CES tech show in Las Vegas this week, I expect to see a
convention center chock-full of gadgets with Google Assistant or
Alexa inside. But I don't want a thousand commands for a thousand
devices. In most cases, voice-controlled assistants have hit a wall
where they perform a specific set of tasks well and not much else.
They may be crazy ambitious, but they aren't ready to take on real
work.
Hard Recipes
If you are willing to do some finagling, there are already ways
to make your devices and services work together better. Tools like
IFTTT and Zapier let you connect web services, so you can
automatically save every photo you share on Instagram into a
Dropbox folder, or file your sales contacts into a spreadsheet. I
have one that saves every tweet I like into an Evernote folder, so
I can read the linked article later.
If you use an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or HomePod, Apple's Siri
Shortcuts app allows you to create quick ways to turn a set of
photos into a GIF, or dial the number for whatever's next on your
calendar (a must-do for any frequent conference caller). Alexa
users can open the Alexa app on their phone, swipe to the side menu
and choose Routines to get started. Google Assistant users can go
to Settings, toggle to the Assistant tab and tap Routines.
All these tools offer sample routines, and I recommend trying a
few. If you want to create a specific routine from scratch, just
know: It's hard. It feels like putting together Ikea furniture
without the instructions -- most of the pieces are there, but good
luck building something that stands up. Here's a real sequence from
my own action-packed life:
OK, when I get home after work -- oops, have to allow location
access -- turn on the lights. Wait, what's the difference between
"Control device, " "Control group" and "Control scene?" And why do
I have two lights called "Living room?" Then turn on the TV -- oh,
and the soundbar too -- but shoot, that isn't connected to Alexa
yet -- and tune to...oh I can't pick a channel in here. Ah, forget
it.
Cue the Orchestra
Even in the best-case scenario, these tools assume you know your
needs and which tools will satisfy them. Quick, can you tick off
your whole morning routine -- in the right order? Or say the exact
time you go to bed every night?
A sufficiently smart home should observe and adapt to your
needs. That kind of proactive, thoughtful help is a long way off.
It will require computers that understand far more about us than
they do now.
The companies behind these assistants say they are confident
they'll get there eventually. "The goal with many Alexa features is
that they continually learn from customer usage, and become more
automated and personalized, and Routines is no different," said
Miriam Daniel, Amazon's vice president for Alexa and Echo.
But companies will need to collect even more of your activity
and personal data, and have smarter machine-learning tools that can
run right on your devices. You'll also have to buy
internet-connected versions of practically everything you own, and
make sure everything you use works with the same assistant --
because Alexa, Siri and Google aren't on speaking terms.
We, too, are an obstacle. Suppose my assistant were smart enough
to turn off my lights just before I do. That might creep me out.
And what's the point in my doors automatically locking if I still
have to walk around checking that they really did?
Right now, Google Assistant's routines are the simplest to set
up, and Google's existing trove of data likely gives it a lead in
this kind of automation and personalization. (Nobody knows me like
Google knows me.)
Apple says it has been conservative about proactively pushing
out notifications so far, because unhelpful prompts would be
annoying, but the company is getting confident enough in Siri's
abilities to pester helpfully. The closest thing to the future we
were promised is the moment Siri pops a notification onto your lock
screen asking if you want to dial in to your next meeting.
These small steps in the right direction are where tech
companies should focus their efforts. For years, the CES halls have
been filled with gadgets that simply took a thing and gave it an
internet connection. But the smart-home future is about making all
those things work in harmony. And that future shouldn't include
programming them yourself.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 06, 2019 09:14 ET (14:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.