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Alexa, what happened?

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Summary

This article discusses the potential of Amazon's Alexa voice platform, how it has been used in the past few years, and why the potential of voice has not been realized. The author considers the closed-off ecosystems, overly ambitious proclamations, distorted monopolistic incentives, and too much capital as the reasons why the potential of voice has not been realized. He also talks about the tech zeitgeist of the mid 2010s, how ZIRP played a role in the development of the technology, and how incremental innovation over rapid shifts could potentially help realize the potential of voice.

Q&As

What are the main issues with Amazon's Alexa?
The main issues with Amazon's Alexa are annoying follow-up questions, closed off ecosystems, overly ambitious proclamations, distorted monopolistic incentives, and too much capital.

Why was Amazon's Echo device so revolutionary when it was released in 2014?
The Echo device was revolutionary when it was released in 2014 because it had a low latency of one second, which was much faster than existing voice-recognition technology at the time.

How has Apple's closed-off ecosystem affected the potential of voice computing?
Apple's closed-off ecosystem has prevented users from making third-party apps the default, and has prevented Spotify from being the default music player in order to push Apple Music. It has also caused Siri to be a hot pile of garbage and prevented users from easily dictating tasks to Asana.

What role did the tech zeitgeist of the mid-2010s play in the development of voice computing?
The tech zeitgeist of the mid-2010s meant that every innovation had to be an earth-shattering, wholly transformative thing that would change every facet of our lives. This meant that voice had to be the next platform, instead of focusing on making the core use cases incredibly simple.

What impact could generative AI have on voice computing?
Generative AI could help advance voice computing by processing a ton of information and generating one, kind of authoritative, conversational output. This could help create a more seamless connection to other apps, services, and devices.

AI Comments

👍 This article is a great deep dive into the innovation of Amazon's Alexa and how it has shaped the way we interact with technology today.

👎 This article takes a pessimistic view of Alexa and fails to recognize the potential that voice technology still holds.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about Amazon's Alexa and the potential of voice technology. The article talks about how the potential of voice technology has been stunted due to closed-off ecosystems, overly ambitious proclamations, distorted monopolistic incentives, and too much capital.

Friend: That's really interesting. It's amazing how much potential voice technology has, but it seems like it's been hindered by all of these factors.

Me: Yeah, it's really unfortunate. It's also a good reminder that technological innovations aren't enough, and that economic incentives, user behaviors, and attitudes all play a role in the success of a technology.

Action items

Research the Matter standard and how it could help advance voice computing.
Explore how generative AI could help advance voice computing.
Learn more about the economic incentives underlying technological innovations and how they can affect the success of a new technology.

Technical terms

Voice as a Platform: A platform that allows users to interact with computers and other devices using voice commands.
Data Privacy: The ability to control who has access to personal information.
Competitive Stranglehold: A situation in which a company has a monopoly on a particular market or industry.
Follow-up Questions: Questions asked after an initial question in order to gain more information.
Hacks: A workaround or solution to a problem.
Temporary Fixes: Solutions to a problem that are only meant to be used in the short-term.
Strategic Choice: A decision made by a company that is intended to help them achieve their long-term goals.
Glorified Clock Radio: A device that is only capable of performing basic functions.
Zeitgeist: The spirit of the times; the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, and spiritual climate of an era.
Hype Cycle: A graphical representation of the life cycle of a technology, from its introduction to its eventual decline.
Monopolistic Incentives: Incentives that are designed to encourage a company to maintain its monopoly on a particular market or industry.
Blitzscaled: To rapidly scale a business in order to gain a competitive advantage.
Trough of Disillusionment: The period of time after a technology has been released and the initial hype has died down, but before the technology has been fully adopted.
ZIRP: Zero Interest Rate Policy; a monetary policy in which a central bank sets the interest rate at or near zero.
10x Innovation: A type of innovation that is 10 times better than the existing technology.
10% Improvement: A type of improvement that is only 10% better than the existing technology.
Generative AI: Artificial intelligence that is capable of generating new content.