Amazon Alexa vs Google Assistant

August 12, 2023 | Author: Adam Levine
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Amazon Alexa
Alexa lets you be more productive throughout your day and stay focused on important tasks. Alexa can help you manage your schedule, keep track of your to-do list, and set reminders. Alexa can automatically dial into your conference calls and make phone calls for you. Alexa can help quickly find information for you, like the latest sales data, or the inventory levels in your warehouse.
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Google Assistant
Virtual assistant integrated in conversational user interface products: Google Allo and Google Home. You can ask a question for an answer, and follow up with multiple questions, with Google picking the conversation out and returning the right answer.
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are two leading voice-activated virtual assistant platforms that provide users with a range of smart home control, information retrieval, and general assistance capabilities. Amazon Alexa, integrated into devices like Amazon Echo speakers, excels in its vast library of third-party skills and compatibility with a wide range of smart home devices. It emphasizes seamless integration with Amazon's e-commerce ecosystem, allowing users to make purchases and interact with their Amazon account. On the other hand, Google Assistant, available on various devices including Google Home speakers and smartphones, leverages Google's extensive knowledge graph and search capabilities to provide detailed and accurate answers to questions. It seamlessly integrates with Google services like Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Maps, offering personalized assistance based on user preferences.

See also: Top 10 AI Assistants
Amazon Alexa vs Google Assistant in our news:

2023. Google Assistant is getting AI capabilities of Bard



Google Assistant is now paired with Bard, that provides it generative AI technologies. The enhanced assistant can now handle a wider array of questions and tasks, delving into your Google apps such as Gmail and Google Drive to provide tailored responses to your queries, provided you opt-in for this service. For instance, you could inquire about your important unread emails from the past week, and the digital assistant can retrieve the relevant emails for you. Besides managing your inbox, this expanded functionality can also be utilized for personal tasks like planning trips, creating grocery lists, or composing social media captions. Google intends to observe how users interact with Assistant with Bard through this experimental launch before making the feature widely available on Android and iOS platforms.


2023. Amazon brings generative AI to Alexa



Amazon is introducing a generative AI model to enhance the functionality of its Echo devices. This novel model will enhance conversational interactions by considering factors such as body language, eye contact, and gestures. It will collaborate with APIs to facilitate new smart home features, deciphering descriptions like "spooky" lighting to provide meaningful responses. Moreover, it will imbue Alexa with a more prominent and opinionated personality. Amazon states that this advanced generative AI model can adapt its tone and responses to convey emotions such as agreement, excitement, laughter, and surprise, aligning with a person's natural pauses and hesitations to create a more fluid conversation.


2022. Google is integrating Assistant and Calendar reminders with Tasks



Currently, Google Tasks operates independently, separate from other Google services. While you can create tasks, subtasks, and set reminders in the Google Tasks iOS and Android apps, as well as through a side panel in Gmail or Google Drive on the web, these reminders don't seamlessly appear in your Assistant reminders. Furthermore, Google Calendar offers separate options for creating tasks and reminders, potentially causing confusion among users. To address this, Google is planning an update that will be rolled out in the coming months. Once implemented, when users set a reminder using Google Assistant, it will be visible in both the Tasks and Calendar lists. Additionally, users will receive a notification for task completion reminders at the designated time.


2020. Google Assistant can now use your voice to verify purchases



Making purchases using your voice may offer convenience, but it lacks adequate security measures. Google aims to address this concern by introducing an optional voice verification test when utilizing Assistant. This new security feature relies on Google Assistant's Voice Match and is gradually being rolled out through a limited pilot program. The program aims to assess the effectiveness of this feature on smart speakers and smart displays. Recently, the Voice Match training feature was updated to include specific phrases, enabling Assistant to accurately identify the speaker. With improved accuracy, Google now considers Voice Match as a reliable additional layer of security.


2020. Google Assistant on Android can now read entire web pages to you



Google has begun the rollout of a new feature that allows Google Assistant to read entire web pages aloud. This functionality includes highlighting the text and automatically scrolling the page as it reads, making it easier for users to follow along with the story. Additionally, the read speed can be adjusted to suit individual preferences. If the web page is in a different language than the user's default setting, Google Assistant can automatically translate more than 40 languages into the preferred language. This feature is compatible with most modern Android phones, dating back to Android 5 (Lollipop).


2020. Google Assistant will be able to read texts


Google has introduced a new feature for Google Assistant on Android phones, transforming it into an advanced screen reader. By simply saying "Hey Google, read this," the Assistant will locate the main text on the webpage or article you are viewing and read it aloud to you. While screen readers have been available on phones before, Google claims to have enhanced the Assistant's capability to analyze sentences, resulting in more natural and human-like speech patterns. However, the most impressive aspect of this feature is that you can also request the Assistant to read the content in a different language, with support for up to 42 languages.


2018. Amazon Alexa virtual assistant now available on Windows 10 PCs as a standalone app



Alexa made its debut on select Windows 10 laptops earlier this year, being integrated into a variety of newly released HP, Asus, Acer, and Lenovo notebooks. Now, Alexa is available for download on all compatible devices, expanding its accessibility. With its presence on Windows 10, Alexa aims to enhance work productivity, reflecting its growing utilization in office environments. This trajectory is reminiscent of the iPhone's rapid transition from individual users to becoming a staple tool in the workforce back in 2007. Furthermore, Amazon is actively establishing partnerships with corporate entities. Several companies, including Salesforce, SAP SuccessFactors, Concur, Ring Central, and ServiceNow, have plans to integrate their applications with Alexa for Business. This service was launched last year to assist companies in effectively managing a large number of Alexa devices in the workplace. The collaboration between Alexa and these corporate partners demonstrates the increasing role of voice assistants in optimizing workplace efficiency and streamlining business operations.


2018. Alexa for Business opens up to third-party device makers



In a prior year, Amazon introduced a new initiative known as Alexa for Business with the objective of integrating its voice assistant technology and Echo devices into corporate settings. Today, Amazon is taking a significant stride by expanding the platform to encompass device manufacturers who are developing their own solutions incorporating Alexa. This expansion allows device makers to create products that can be registered with Alexa for Business and managed as shared devices throughout the entire organization. Notable device management capabilities include configuring room assignments, specifying locations, monitoring device health, and controlling the allocation of public and private skills to the shared devices. According to Amazon, numerous businesses, including Express Trucking, Fender, and Propel Insurance, have already embraced the integration of Amazon Echo devices alongside their existing office equipment since the program's inception, with thousands of companies actively participating in this initiative.


2018. Alexa-Cortana integration is now available



Microsoft has introduced a new feature that enables owners of Alexa devices to summon their own virtual assistant, Cortana, and vice versa. With this integration, customers can now access Microsoft's Cortana through their Echo devices and activate Amazon's Alexa on Windows 10 devices and Harman Kardon Invoke speakers. In the future, this functionality will also be available on mobile platforms such as iOS and Android. Once activated, this integration allows Cortana users to utilize Alexa to shop on Amazon, manage their Amazon orders, and utilize some of Alexa's third-party skills. Likewise, Alexa users will have access to Cortana's expertise in productivity features, including calendar management, daily overviews, and email management.


2018. Google Assistant gets custom routines and schedules



Google has recently introduced two new features for Google Assistant: custom routines and schedules, each providing unique ways to automate regular tasks. With custom routines, users can execute multiple commands with a single custom phrase. For instance, saying "Hey Google, I'm awake" can unsilence your phone, turn on the lights, and read the latest news. On the other hand, schedules allow the automation of a series of commands at specific times and on specific days, eliminating the need for manual activation. With schedules, tasks can be executed without the user having to utter a command. These additions enhance the convenience and efficiency of using Google Assistant for managing daily activities.

Author: Adam Levine
Adam is an expert in project management, collaboration and productivity technologies, team management, and motivation. With an extensive background working at prestigious companies such as Microsoft and Accenture, Adam's in-depth knowledge and experience in the field make him a sought-after professional. Currently, he has ventured into entrepreneurship, owning a thriving consulting and training agency where he imparts invaluable insights and practical strategies to individuals and organizations, empowering them to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. You can contact Adam via email adam@liventerprise.com