Microsoft is Building a Cortana App for iOS and Android

[dgstorm]

Here's some very slick news in the field of digital assistants (aka budding AI overlords). Microsoft announced they are planning to offer a stand alone Cortana app and will make it available for both Android and iOS. On top of that, Microsoft is working toward taking Cortana to the next level by improving her functions with their artificial intelligence research project called "Einstein."

The reason they call the project "Einstein" is because of the way Cortana is meant to work more proactively using your relative position and what time it is. Here's a quote with a few more details,

The key to Cortana's success will be knowing where a user is, what time it is, and what they are trying to do. Albert Einstein's work on the relationship between space and time gave rise to Microsoft's secret project name, said Horvitz.

"Einstein was brilliant about space and time," he said. "It’s using brilliance about space and time generally in our agents."

Here at HQ we have to applaud Microsoft for this move. By becoming platform agnostic, they are making themselves useful and available everywhere, which will build brand recognition and loyalty. It's actually quite brilliant.

According to the report, the Cortana app for Android and iOS should be available in the fall of this year when Microsoft launches Windows 10 officially.

Source: Reuters

 

[s2mikey]

I have to admit, Cortana is a better overall experience than Siri is. This should be interesting.

 

[twerppoet]

Cortana on iOS will face the same limitations that Google Voice does on iOS. Neither has the system level access needed to do things locally on your phone. Both are limited to search's and other information that they have access to online; mostly through your own Microsoft and Google accounts, and presenting that information from within their own apps.

Today Widgets might change that somewhat, if Apple allows them, but it will only be a matter of quicker access.

Or the short version. Any virtual assistant that can not make full use of the native OS and hardware is crippled.

 

[twerppoet]

Maybe action extensions too, not that I think of it.