If you haven’t yet heard about the latest AI features Google has announced, you’ll want to take a seat. Let’s go over the least mind-shattering, but equally cool, features first.
Smart Compose
You know that feature on your phone that predicts what word you’re typing and enters it for you automatically? Well, we’re all about to get lazier with smart compose.
Instead of predicting a single word, this feature will predict your entire sentence. You can literally start typing, “Does next f” and Google will fill in the blanks with, “Does next Friday work for you?”
There’s no doubt that it will eliminate typos and save us time, but as canned responses, they might offend some people. Not to mention, we’ll all just end up sounding the same.
Google Maps Vision
This AI feature is a little less creepy and a bit more useful, especially if you’re like me and you have a hard time orienting yourself.
You know when you pull out of a driveway or walk out of a building and Google Maps tells you to go north? Ever start driving or walking just to figure out if you’re on the right track because you don’t know which way north is?
Google Maps Vision is going to fix this problem. Using an arrow or a cute little-animated fox, you will literally be shown the way without having to pull out your compass ever again.
The phone-call assistant
What we’re most interested in here at InHome is the phone-call assistant. This useful, AI feature can help you make appointments. Sounds cool already, but just wait until you hear how the AI sounds.
We really can’t explain it. You have to check it out for yourself:
Introverts everywhere are rejoicing that making a phone call may never be required again! But, if you watched the video, it also seems kind of creepy. Especially since that poor woman on the other end of the line had no idea she was talking to a robot.
All the debate about creepiness aside, we’re interested in the technology as it relates to the home security market. Here’s why.
Automatic phone calls in the event of an emergency
This technology could save a lot of lives when integrated with home security systems. It’s true that your system automatically calls if there’s a break-in, but the systems of the future won’t have to utilize this technology at all. Instead, your personal assistant will make the call for you.
It also has the potential to help with some other emergencies. If there’s an accident in the home, a call will be made to 911 automatically, and with the realness of Google’s AI, it will be able to communicate exactly what has happened. Your assistant can also be tied into water, smoke, and CO2 sensors, making calls whenever there’s a problem, even if you’re away from home or you’re asleep.
This has implications for one of the other sections on our website too. It will be interesting to see how this technology affects medical alert systems and how your personal assistant may contact the emergency monitoring center on your behalf when you need help.
Smarter cameras
Some AI in cameras today allow them to disregard the dog as a possible intruder and notify you when the kids come home, but the type of AI released by Google has the potential to make your camera even smarter.
When connected to your assistant, your camera could let you know if you left a window open, or schedule to have a broken window repaired. Your assistant may even be able to greet specific people as they walk through the door because the camera has the technology to recognize your family members.
Smart home integration
Home security systems tie in with your thermostat, your lights, your locks, and more. Technology like Alexa can already help you monitor and control these systems, but just imagine if you were communicating with a fully responsive AI program like the one in the video above? You could do a lot more than play your favorite song and lock the door!
Google’s AI program isn’t perfect yet. There are a lot of kinks to work out, but when they are worked out, you can bet that we’ll hear more about everything it can do. We bet a lot of it will have to do with home security and smart home systems.