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There are many things in my house that I yell at… some of them answer back these days, though, and even do what I ask. My dog is still a work in progress as far as that goes, but my Alexa has just about nailed it.
Alexa is the virtual assistant developed by Amazon which uses human voice interaction to complete a wide range of tasks including relaying information from the internet, playing music, and setting alarms. She can also control a range of smart devices using herself as a home automation system.
Alexa also can adapt to the user’s language patterns and provide individualized services just by analyzing previous users’ requests. Yeah…and this is just the beginning.
Alexa is the one who talks to users of Amazon’s Echo products including the Echo, Dot, and Tap, as well as Amazon Fire TV and other third-party products. Amazon has now rolled out upgraded versions of a few of its existing smart speakers including a new Amazon Echo Dot, a second-generation Amazon Echo Plus, and a new Amazon Echo Show.
Over 30 million Echo products were sold globally last year, and this count is expected to grow to nearly 60 million in the coming year. With Amazon ahead in the race…. Google, Apple, and Microsoft are also growing and starting to catch up. There are nuances to each, but here we are going to look “under the hood” of an Echo to see how exactly AI works.
No wonder, we as humans find it fascinating to have a conversation with a non-living machine. A couple of years back it was just a fantasy in the human mind.
Ever since 2012, when Amazon’s artificial intelligence Alexa came into existence, there has been tremendous growth in AI’s capabilities and the credit for that growth goes to Machine Learning.
Machine learning is the foundation of Alexa’s power and it is only getting stronger as its popularity. The Echo is always listening for the wake word (that’s Alexa), but it only starts recording and transmitting audio once it thinks it hears it. Echo devices indicate this with that blue ring of light… when it lights up, which means Alexa is recording and uploading what it hears to figure out how to respond.
So, when you ask Alexa, “What’s the weather going to be like today,” the device records your voice. Then that recording is sent over the Internet to Amazon’s Alexa Voice Services (AVS) which parses the recording into commands it understands. Then, the system sends the opposite output back to your device.
When you ask about the weather, an audio file is sent back and Alexa tells you the weather forecast all without you having any idea there was any back and forth between systems. Every time Alexa makes mistakes in interpreting your request, this data is used to make the system smarter for the next time around.
Hope you have understood the basic idea behind the working of Alexa. Advancements in AI technology are increasing rapidly day by day. Are we going to see little Alexa robot-butlers roaming the hallways of our homes like Rosie from the Jetsons? Who knows! At this point, anything seems possible! Till then stay tuned.
Author: TechBlonHub
As a passionate blogger, I'm thrilled to share my expertise, insights, and enthusiasm with you. I believe that technical knowledge should be shared, not hoarded. That's why I take the time to craft detailed, well-researched content that's easy to follow, even for non-tech. I love hearing from you, answering your questions, and learning from your experiences. Your feedback helps me create content that's tailored to your needs and interests
