[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4Cast #589: The voices aren't going away, and they're getting even smarter

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OPLIN 4Cast #589: The voices aren't going away, and they're getting even
smarter
April 11th, 2018

[image: red screen with Ransom Skull and Crossbones] I have long held that
I won't be buying any kind of home AI assistant (e.g., Alexa and her ilk).
I have some serious concerns about an always-on, always-listening device.
However, that doesn't mean that I haven't secretly wished that I had one.
Cool new technology plus amazing convenience? I absolutely question my
feelings about privacy repeatedly, every time I watch one of these things
in action. As artificial intelligence tech gets more sophisticated, my
convictions get harder to hang on to.  Not only that, but voice AI
assistants are already joining the workplace--and I may not be able to
avoid them in the very near future.

   -
   - Google declares war against Alexa and Siri at CES 2018
   <https://mashable.com/2018/01/08/google-amazon-artificial-intelligence-ces-2018/#Cb_TV4mhgPqB>
   [Mashable] "My takeaway from the obvious trend was this: Digital assistants
   (powered by artificial intelligence) are going to be built into everything
   and platform agnostic. They'll be the connective tissue that binds together
   your digital life across multiple rooms, appliances, and services."
   - AI voice assistants won't just book your meetings, they'll partake in
   them
   <https://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/TotalCIO/AI-voice-assistants-wont-just-book-your-meetings-theyll-partake-in-them>
   [SearchCIO] "But Sicular foresees a time in the not-so-distant future when
   voice AI assistants in the workplace — or 'employee assistants,' as she
   referred to them — are not just booking meetings but are an active
   participant in those meetings."
   - Chatbots and voice assistants are gaining traction in the workplace
   <http://www.businessinsider.com/chatbots-voice-assistants-gaining-traction-in-the-workplace-2018-4>
   [Business Insider] "The report, which included responses from 500 IT pros
   in organizations across North America and Europe, found that on average
   over 29% of organizations have either implemented one or more AI-powered
   chatbots or voice assistants for work-related tasks, or plan to do so in
   the year ahead."
   - The future of news is humans talking to machines
   <http://www.niemanlab.org/2017/09/the-future-of-news-is-humans-talking-to-machines/>
   [Nieman Lab] "Talking to machines, rather than typing on them, isn’t some
   temporary gimmick. Humans talking to machines — and eventually, machines
   talking to each other — represents the next major shift in our news
   information ecosystem. Voice is the next big threat for journalism."

*From the Ohio Web Library <http://ohioweblibrary.org>:*

   - Zoho CRM Introduces Zia Voice, the First Conversational AI for Sales
   Teams, Along With Catalyst, a Hyper-Customization Platform for Enterprises
   <http://proxy.ohiolink.edu:9099/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bwh&AN=bizwire.c83372051&site=ehost-live>
   (Zoho. (2). Zoho CRM Introduces Zia Voice, the First Conversational AI for
   Sales Teams, Along With Catalyst, a Hyper-Customization Platform for
   Enterprises. *Business Wire (English)*.)
   - New Artificial Intelligence Podcast "Voices in AI" Now Available in
   iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play
   <http://proxy.ohiolink.edu:9099/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bwh&AN=201710020845PR.NEWS.USPR.PH03709&site=ehost-live>
   (PR, N. (2017, October 2). New Artificial Intelligence Podcast "Voices in
   AI" Now Available in iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. *PR Newswire US*.)
   - The Real Reason Voice Assistants Are Female (and Why it Matters) (The
   Real Reason Voice Assistants Are Female (and Why it Matters). (2018). *PC
   Magazine*, 39-41.)

------------------------------
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