Dive Brief:
- Google has launched tools that enable developers to create mini voice-enabled interfaces for Google Home and Digital Assistant, Alphabet’s AI-driven assistant, according to a company post.
- The developer tools will allow third parties to deliver information, services, and assistance to consumers via interactions with Digital Assistant after they activate the assistant through the “OK, Google” voice command.
- A Bloomberg report provided an example of a user saying, “OK, Google, talk to Target,” and instead of being directed to Google’s AI technology the user would begin interacting with a bot from the retail giant.
Dive Insight:
Google introduced its Home smart speaker in October and, while mostly well received so far, the appeal to consumers is limited without the ability to leverage it for a full range of services and information-gathering, something that can only be achieved by giving developers access to the platform. Yesterday’s news suggests there will be a number of brands announcing Google Home integrations in the coming months.
While a opening the digital assistant platform to developers is an important step, Google still has a lot of catching up to do if it is to compete with Amazon Alexa, which will reportedly be available in more than 5 million homes by the end of the year through Amazon Echo, Dot and other hardware. Amazon also has a significant head start with third-party integrations, called skills. There are now more than 3,000 skills on the Amazon platform.
Google previously announced it would open its digital assistant to developers this month back in October.
As a technology piece, digital assistants are on the rise with Gartner forecasting that by 2019 the tech will be the primary interface to connected home services in at least a quarter of households in developed countries, and Google and Amazon are expected to ship three million digital voice assistant hardware units next year and more than 15 million by 2020, according to Strategy Analytics. Apple already has digital assistant tech in the form of Siri and it’s also looking to get into the home services market. Other tech companies are also chasing this space.
Google has a history of opening its core technology to third party development with the gambit that it will make up that charity on the backend with data collection and advertising revenue. Given that bots for its Digital Assistant will be able to answer users’ questions and eventually facilitate transactions this latest move looks like a good bet for Google.
