Voice is being predicted as the next big thing in the computer interaction and perhaps why both Amazon and Google are fighting to take control over our lives with their AI-driven virtual assistants - Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. These voice-based assistants can do a lot of things with just one command: play music, crack jokes; give the weather forecasts; send text messages; set up alarms and reminders; read out the latest news; and control “smart” devices in the home such as thermostats, door locks and bulbs. Interestingly, these virtual assistants become better over time and get to know your habits as you use them more often. I decided to ask Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant 12 questions on the Echo Dot and Home Mini, to determine their intelligence level. These are their responses. What are the best Hindi songs of 2018? Google Assistant was the clear winner here. It listed out the top ‘Hindi’ songs trending on the web: Bom Diggy, Dil Chori, and O Saathi. “Good question, I’m looking into that as we speak,” Alexa said. Well, I repeated my question twice, but Alexa gave me the same answer again. Who wrote The Satanic Verses? Salman Rushdie is the author of The Satanic Verses. Both Alexa and Google Assistant got it right in the first attempt. Where can I buy Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro nearby? Google Assistant was spot on. The Assistant suggested me to buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro in the area of 6.9km, plus it gave me the name of the shops with exact details. Alexa couldn't understand the question properly. “Sorry, I don’t know that, I’m still learning about local businesses,” Alexa responded. Also read: Google Home Mini review: Big things come in small packages How much does an Apple iPhone X cost? Google Assistant quoted the price of the iPhone X from Time.com. Alexa, on the other hand, found many matching options on Amazon India. It gave me the price of the Silver colour variant of the iPhone X with 256GB storage. What is the best Chinese restaurant near my location? Google recommended two Chinese restaurants - Bercos and China Fort in the area of 11km. I got it. But I wasn’t satisfied with the answer. Google neither asked me to reserve the table in any of the restaurants nor it took an action by getting me directions. Alexa just couldn't understand me. Who is the CEO of Alphabet? Larry Page is the CEO of Alphabet Inc. Well, this question was understood by both assistants. How do I make Aloo Poori? Alexa couldn't get the answer. Google got the recipe from veg recipes of India and asked if it ‘sounds good’. It then walked me through how to prepare all the ingredients, giving me the option to skip straight to the recipe. I chose the latter option, then it guided me through the entire 18 steps one by one. Who is the director of The Shape of Water? Both got the answer correctly: Guillermo del Toro. However, I thought Alexa was more precise. It provided me some addition details about the movie, including the number of Oscars it won at the 90th annual Academy Awards. Not bad. Also read: Amazon Echo Plus and Amazon Alexa review: The smartest speaker around How far is Janakpuri from Greater Kailash? Neither Google Assistant nor Alexa could answer the question. How do I get to Connaught Place? Alexa couldn't answer it. Google Assistant on the Home Mini seemed accurate, as it asked to me to take DTC bus no 838, which was a 5-minute walk from my current location. It also gave an overview of traffic; the time to reach the location; and even send those directions to Google Maps on my phone. What is Dharma? Both answered, but Alexa’s answer was deep and philosophical. The Assistant, on the other hand, read out the part from the Wikipedia. What is the procedure to do MBA from IIM? Google Assistant nailed it. The Assistant referenced Careerlauncher.com to provide a detailed info about the admission procedure followed by IIMs. Alexa wasn’t able to help.
