Search Search Amazon Echo: How it will bring artificial intelligence into our homes much sooner than expected The Amazon Echo might soon have a rival The future is closer than you think.
 Not only can you activate music with Amazon's latest device, but the technology uses more than 300 apps to accurately let you order food or check your diary with just your voice 6169789578 Click to follow The Independent Tech What’s all the fuss about the voice-activated home speaker that Amazon is due to release in the UK and Germany in late September?
 This gadget has been available in the US for over a year and has proven a minor hit, with sales estimates between 1.
6m and 3m.
 But these figures belie the potential impact this kind of artificial intelligence device could have on our lives in the near future.
 Echo doesn’t just let you switch on your music by voice command.
 It’s the first of what will be several types of smart home appliances that work beyond simple tasks like playing music or turning on a light.
 It uses an artificial intelligence assistant app called Alexa to allow users to access the information and services of the internet and control personal organisation tools.
 You can order a pizza or a taxi, or check the weather or your diary, all just by speaking to Alexa.
 Read more Amazon reveals release date for Echo smart speaker In this way, it is similar to Apple’s Siri but has advances in microphone and AI technology that make it significantly more accurate than past devices in understanding and executing commands – and from anywhere in your home that it can hear you.
 I’ve been living with Amazon Echo for a year now, having imported it from the US via eBay.
 It’s an astonishing piece of kit that has to be experienced to see exactly why it has the potential to make the idea of a personal assistant smart home hub successful.
 It’s not surprising that Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos has said it is potentially the fourth core Amazon service after its marketplace, cloud services and mobile devices.
 Many of us have already become used to poor voice-recognition software and error-prone requests on our mobile devices.
 But Amazon started developing a high-precision microphone and more sophisticated voice recognition system a full 12 months before its competitors and has gained a significant headstart.
 The big difference with other AI assistants is that instead of a single piece of software, Alexa uses 300 of its own apps (which Amazon calls “skills”) to provide the device’s different capabilities.
 This creates a system that is far more integrated and sophisticated yet simple to use with minimal setup.
 Amazon Echo uses an artificial intelligence assistant app called Alexa to allow users to access the information and services of the internet and control personal organisation tools (Youtube) This is a very significant development in the rise of the connected home, which is coming as we move from PCs and mobile devices to the era of the internet of things when computer chips will be in objects all around us.
 Echo is arguably the first successful product to bridge that gap.
 It’s working voice recognition service and connected sensors essentially link your home to a marketplace supply chain that services many (if not all) of your needs.
 Gadgets and tech news in pictures Gadgets and tech news in pictures Designed by Pierpaolo Lazzarini from Italian company Jet Capsule.
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 is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph.
 Jet Capsule/Cover Images A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Images A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Images Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Electrification Guru Dr.
 Wolfgang Ziebart talks about the electric Jaguar I-PACE concept SUV before it was unveiled before the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.
S Reuters The Jaguar I-PACE Concept car is the start of a new era for Jaguar.
 This is a production preview of the Jaguar I-PACE, which will be revealed next year and on the road in 2018 AP Japan's On-Art Corp's CEO Kazuya Kanemaru poses with his company's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot 'TRX03' and other robots during a demonstration in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Japan's On-Art Corp's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot 'TRX03' Reuters Japan's On-Art Corp's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot 'TRX03' performs during its unveiling in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Singulato Motors co-founder and CEO Shen Haiyin poses in his company's concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China Reuters The interior of Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China Reuters Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 Reuters A picture shows Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China Reuters Connected company president Shigeki Tomoyama addresses a press briefing as he elaborates on Toyota's "connected strategy" in Tokyo.
 The Connected company is a part of seven Toyota in-house companies that was created in April 2016 Getty A Toyota Motors employee demonstrates a smartphone app with the company's pocket plug-in hybrid (PHV) service on the cockpit of the latest Prius hybrid vehicle during Toyota's "connected strategy" press briefing in Tokyo Getty An exhibitor charges the battery cells of AnyWalker, an ultra-mobile chasis robot which is able to move in any kind of environment during Singapore International Robo Expo Getty A robot with a touch-screen information apps stroll down the pavillon at the Singapore International Robo Expo Getty An exhibitor demonstrates the AnyWalker, an ultra-mobile chasis robot which is able to move in any kind of environment during Singapore International Robo Expo Getty Robotic fishes swim in a water glass tank displayed at the Korea pavillon during Singapore International Robo Expo Getty An employee shows a Samsung Electronics' Gear S3 Classic during Korea Electronics Show 2016 in Seoul, South Korea Reuters Visitors experience Samsung Electronics' Gear VR during the Korea Electronics Grand Fair at an exhibition hall in Seoul, South Korea Getty Amy Rimmer, Research Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, demonstrates the car manufacturer's Advanced Highway Assist in a Range Rover, which drives the vehicle, overtakes and can detect vehicles in the blind spot, during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire PA wire Chris Burbridge, Autonomous Driving Software Engineer for Tata Motors European Technical Centre, demonstrates the car manufacturer's GLOSA V2X functionality, which is connected to the traffic lights and shares information with the driver, during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire PA wire Ford EEBL Emergency Electronic Brake Lights is demonstrated during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire PA Full-scale model of 'Kibo' on display at the Space Dome exhibition hall of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center, in Tsukuba, north-east of Tokyo, Japan EPA Miniatures on display at the Space Dome exhibition hall of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center, in Tsukuba, north-east of Tokyo, Japan.
 In its facilities, JAXA develop satellites and analyse their observation data, train astronauts for utilization in the Japanese Experiment Module 'Kibo' of the International Space Station (ISS) and develop launch vehicles EPA The robot developed by Seed Solutions sings and dances to the music during the Japan Robot Week 2016 at Tokyo Big Sight.
 At this biennial event, the participating companies exhibit their latest service robotic technologies and components Getty The robot developed by Seed Solutions sings and dances to music during the Japan Robot Week 2016 at Tokyo Big Sight Getty Government and industry are working together on a robot-like autopilot system that could eliminate the need for a second human pilot in the cockpit AP Aurora Flight Sciences' technicians work on an Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automantion System (ALIAS) device in the firm's Centaur aircraft at Manassas Airport in Manassas, Va.
 AP Stefan Schwart and Udo Klingenberg preparing a self-built flight simulator to land at Hong Kong airport, from Rostock, Germany EPA It’s still early days for this kind of device, but it raises the question how other shops, banks and entertainment companies might need to respond to the technology because it could effectively place a middle-man between them and their customers.
 If you want to order something, instead of going to the company that provides it directly, you just go to Amazon through your Echo.
 It’s what the IT industry might call an “aggregator” or a “service broker platform”.
 This is the much-spoken of but near-mythical goal of many tech companies who want to become the service provider of all other services.
 Any downsides?
 The US feedback on Echo has been very strong from early adopters.
 In my experience, the argument that it doesn’t have a screen and therefore is harder to interact with disappears when you actually use the device.
 The voice interaction is natural and if there is a problem with the system it’s more to do with learning the range of “skills” the device can perform than getting them to work.
 Read more A device that is constantly listening for your commands (although, the company is at pains to make clear, not the rest of your unrelated conversations) will no doubt raise concerns about privacy, just as all our smart devices do.
 Echo and Alexa work through the existing security protocols that many people already use when online shopping or accessing cloud web services through Amazon.
 But how secure these systems really are – and their potential for misuse – may come under greater scrutiny once Amazon (or any smart home company) has access not just to our bank details but our private conversations, too.
 Echo represents a new kind of interface that will likely make voice activated services, along with the breaking concepts of virtual and augmented reality, the cutting edge way we interact with computers in 2017 and beyond.
 Google have already launched Google Home in the US (a full year late) and other firms are developing similar solutions.
 The astonishing thing about this is that it’s a vision of the future that’s arriving much sooner that expected.
 We’re still far from general artificial intelligence, with machines fully able to think and perform like humans, but the days of the keyboard and mouse are numbered.
 This article originally appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.
com).
 Mark Skilton is a Professor of Practice, at Warwick Business School, University of Warwick The Conversation Comments Most Popular Video Sponsored Features We use cookies to enhance your visit to our site and to bring you advertisements that might interest you.
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