The 21st century is no stranger to voice assistants, and it seems like it has nowhere to go but to reach more devices and other outlets. Recently, Amazon announced that Alexa, its AI assistant, is going to share its magic powers to the television industry by serving as an answering machine for the entertainment channel, SyFy.
How Alexa Will Assist SyFy Avid Televiewers
SyFy is best known for its shows with supernatural themes led by Star Trek, Battle Galaxia, The X-Files, and 12 Monkeys among others. According to Multichannel, SyFy developed questions that Alexa will recognize and users may ask anything to the AI assistant. Questions like "What will happen on the next season of 12 Monkeys?" or "What happened in the last episode of Hunters?" will be gladly accommodated by Alexa.
Android Central quoted SyFy in its website, detailing what their partnership with Alexa will entail:
"Alexa has exhaustive knowledge of Syfy's schedule as far out as 14 days in the future. Plan your schedule and never miss the next episode of your favorite Syfy shows. Alexa knows everything about the most recent episodes of current Syfy shows. If you need a quick refresher, just ask her what happened and Alexa will give you the lowdown. Alexa can see into the future! Alexa is prepared to give you a quick sneak peek on the next episode of your favorite Syfy shows, all you have to do is ask!"
The Development Of Amazon's AI Assistant Alexa
As reported by CNET, Amazon bought Alexa last 2002 together with two other companies. Since early 2016, Alexa has exclusively been available for Amazon devices such as Echo and Dot. However, in line with the company's initiative to support start-ups, it has made Alexa available to other brands. With the free-of-charge Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AAVS), hardware brands can already install the voice assistant in their products. According to TechCrunch, the first to install Alexa is Triby, a speaker that for example, can be attached to a refrigerator while cooking. It the first third party device to have an integrated Alexa system.
Aside from availability to third party brands and collaboration with a television network, Alexa is being eyed by Ford to become its voice assistant installed in its cars. Who knows what else will it invade in the future? Comment your predictions below!
