A.I. conversation - A new Google innovation

There was yet another breakthrough for Google at the Google I/O 2018, which took place last week. During the event, Sundar Pichai (Google, CEO) made a huge announcement regarding the latest Google Assistant which can now talk and react to the human speech. This artificial intelligence is designed in such a way that it can have a conversation with a person and reply to the questions asked just like a human.

The major purpose of designing this is because Pichai feels it is important for businesses and individuals to save time on booking appointments and on fixing dates for certain events. This will eventually increase productivity and ameliorate business activities. This is not only for the business individuals or marketers but also for all the others out there who can use it for their own needs.

In order to demonstrate, Google programmed the A.I. to call an actual hair salon to book an appointment. It was certainly surprising to see that the A.I. projected human-like behavior such as giving a pause when an emotion needs to be conveyed, fillers such as “hmmm” to fill for the pause in a conversation. Everything a human does the A.I. also could do it.

In the second demo, where the A.I. made a call to a restaurant to book a table for four which was immediately put down by the receptionist who said they only book a table for five or more and requested the A.I. to directly walk in. But, believe it or not, the A.I. actually replied and asked how the tables would be and what would be the best time to come.

This is surely the next step for Google Assistant and let’s see if it aids many in booking appointments in the future.