Apple's Siri has made it possible to have more interaction with artificial intelligence (AI), it feels like bringing science fiction to our palms, no doubt, this is a fantastic application of AI. Virtual assistants are really making life more comfortable for people, it feels amazing that our devices can get a lot of things done with touchless interaction. Users could create events, play music, send messages, make important calls, send email, even set alarm. Day after day, life is getting better as smart devices are getting smarter.
The bad part is this, except through your own iOS device, you have no access to Siri because it is exclusively for iOS users. Don't feel bad about this, lots of developers are putting so much effort into building PA (Personal Assistance) for android phone users. Google paved the way with google assistant, it does so much to assist users like her competitors'. As a result of open source projects, we now have more than 20 personal assistance on android app stores, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Pixabay.com -CCO-
Hey! this is not our focus today. I found an open source android app that can assist you, it has received contributions from 100 developers from a different part of the world. It is open sourced and you can contribute as well.
Take a look at the above screenshot. I was fascinated by what Susi.AI can do, it promised to chat with me, help me make to-do lists (oh! I love to plan my day), that I could set alarm without several screen touches. More than these, she could help me get audio books, allow me to stream podcast, and give me updates about the weather. I felt a kind of butterfly running in my stomach. Before I could click on install, I wanted to ask; Susi.AI, are you sure can give me all of these comforts? Well, there is no reason to jump the gun.
I installed the app and I almost cannot wait to run my personal assistant, there are a lot of things that I wanted her to do for me. So we got started, we began our interaction. Let me say this, Susi.AI's voice is angelic as much as sonorous, I love this about her. You are reading this post because you want to know about us huh? My interaction with new personal assistants got interesting. I'm going to tell you how our interaction went.
How To Use Susi.AI
It is really as simple as other assistants, I launched it and I clicked on the blue microphone icon to talk to her. Less than a second that you click on it, you should give her instruction immediately, otherwise, she will not listen to you. At the top right corner there is an icon like repeat or recycle, click on it to have access to Susi.AI's store. It is like an in-app store (better referred to as addon) where you can add functionality that will improve your experience, there are lots of things you can play with. I guess that is what many of her developers focused on.
My Experience With Susi.AI, My Thought About Her.
This is actually a low-quality personal assistance app, as far as the current state of AI app development is concerned. There are basic things that simple AI should be aware of, she's not conversant with them. For instance, she could not tell me how many meters make one kilometer. This is so irritating, apart from the fact that her speech-to-text is great, there is nothing fascinating about her. The addon did not in any way improve app functionality, it feels like a waste of time. When I asked her to play music for me, she brought a youtube tutorial link. Is there any connection? No. If you ask about books, she can only provide a link to popular ones like Harry Potter.
I was informed through the app that Susi.AI have many other skills, so I clicked on the URL to find out.
No matter how hard I try, the page doesn't load, definitely, there is no way I can gain access to skills.susi.ai.
Final Words On Susi.AI Personal Assistant Mobile App
The world is tending towards artificial intelligence, this is an industry that will drive technology in the next decades, it is nice that developers are positioning themselves for the future. AI industry is still young, but tech users already have a big expectation.
Actually, the app is getting a frequent update but what I have seen so far do not justify the effort of the developers. It was updated less than four (4) days ago.
As far as open source projects are concerned, I love to give remarks that could encourage developers, so this should not be viewed as heavy criticism in any way, rather, it is honest review and narration of my personal experience which can help them improve the app. I would love to see a better version of it.
What Developers Should Improve On.
Below are features that I would love to see in the app, next update should implement at least one of these;
- Ensure that Susi.AI give a relevant response to every query.
- Allow users to gain access to skills page, maybe it will improve interaction. If there are no skills yet, the honest thing to do is to remove URL from the app.
- It is not about the addons, it is about how many of them contribute to app functionality. Reduce them and improve on a few ones, quality above quantity.
- I am not pleased with the idea of signing up in order to gain access to the app, kindly look into this.
Failures of Susi.AI In Pictures
Version Update
Links
Source Codes
https://github.com/fossasia/susi_android
Developer's Blog
https://chat.susi.ai/blog
My Github Profile
https://github.com/autofreak
Series Backlink: Nil