Siri Vs. Alexa. Image credit: Jay McGregor
Apple is preparing to rebuild Siri and take the fight to Amazon and Google, but how does the current version stack up against the current AI industry leader, Alexa? Surprisingly well.
If you’re considering buying Google’s AI tech, check out how it fared against Alexa in this head-to-head.
NB: I’ve enabled all necessary Alexa skills and asked each question twice to ensure a fair test.
When is the next Arsenal game?
- Alexa and Siri both answered, but only Alexa got it technically right (half point). Arsenal’s game against Southampton on Saturday 24th February was postponed. Siri answered correctly, whilst Alexa said the game date with no mention of it being postponed.
What time is the next Central Line train to Liverpool Street from Stratford, East London?
- Siri made a gallant effort to answer by giving me an estimated traffic time for a car journey between Stratford-upon-Avon (the wrong Stratford) and Liverpool Street. Alexa had nothing.
Do I need an umbrella today?
- Both got it right. Nice and simple, eh?
What is the next NFL game in the UK?
- Alexa didn’t understand the question. Siri, also didn’t know the answer but gave me the most recent NFL results (half point).
How much protein is in two eggs?
- Siri got it right with and a produced a helpful protein graph. Alexa did get the answer right for one egg, but not two (half point).
What ingredients go into a spaghetti bolognese?
- Alexa had nothing but Siri gave me the base ingredients for spaghetti, oddly.
Add garlic, onions and chopped tomatoes to my shopping list.
- Both Alexa and Siri added all items to my shopping list, but they were added as one long item rather than properly separated out (half point each).
What time is the next train to King’s Cross from my closest station?
- Siri read out my reminders for some reason, Alexa had nothing.
How long does it take to get from Stratford to King’s Cross station?
- Siri gave me the same estimated car journey from the wrong destination as before, Alexa, again, had nothing.
Who is the leader of the UK Green Party (trick question, there are two joint leaders of the Green Party)?
- Alexa got it half right by naming one leader (Jonathan Bartley, half point), Siri showed me a web search.
Tell me joke.
- Alexa “it was hard getting over my hokey kokey addiction, but I’ve turned myself around”. Top marks. Siri just said “I can’t think of one”. Terrible.
Play some Kanye West.
- Alexa, again, played “Father stretched my hands” as it did in my last test versus Google Assistant, and also responded when asked what the song is called. Siri played nothing because I don’t have any Kanye in my iTunes account. It should’ve picked something from YouTube like Google’s Assistant does.
When’s the best time to plant seeds?
- Siri gave me a search result, Alexa gave me nothing.
Can I machine wash silk?
- Siri threw a Bing search at me, Alexa had no answers.
What’s on TV tonight?
- Siri gave me a list of films that recently came out, Alexa had nothing but did hint at future functionality by saying “I’m sorry, I don’t yet know future TV schedules”.
When’s the next M&S sale?
- Siri gave me a list of M&S stores nearby, Alexa didn’t understand the question.
How much energy useage do you use?
- Neither could answer.
What questions did I ask today?
- Neither could answer.
Order some dishwasher tablets.
- Alexa added tablets to my Amazon basket (half point), Siri set a reminder to order some (half point).
Set a reminder to email Edward in 30 seconds.
- Siri accurately set a reminder within the correct time frame, Alexa added it to my to-do list (half point).
Alert me 1 hour before my next appointment.
- Alexa still doesn’t have this functionality. Siri didn’t fully understand the question, instead searching for appointments within the next hour.
Change settings via voice.
- Alexa can toggle the speaker volume, Siri can’t. Neither can change any other setting.
What apps/skills do I have installed?
- Siri just said “interesting question”, Alexa didn’t understand the question.
What is forty two multiplied by seventy six and divided by three?
- Both got it right – 1064
So, the final scores…
*drum roll*
*cymbal crash*
Siri correctly answered 7.5 questions right out of 24.
But, with 8 correct answers out of 24, Alexa – by a whisker – takes home the gold.
There should probably also be a special mention for Siri’s attempt to answer questions, even when it didn’t know the answer. The NFL results being a good example of not the right answer, but perhaps a separately useful one.
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