Jules
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2000
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I bought my 81 year old mum a Google Home a few weeks ago because she absolutely cannot use a computer or even a tablet.
And its genuinely useful for her to set timers and ask it for phone numbers or what the whether will be like tomorrow etc. I'm actually surprised how much she likes it.
However, has anyone ever listened to an old person trying to interract with voice control devices? Its hilarious...
For example, she was getting clever and trying to ask it how to get from A - B by train.
The amazing thing is that the google home gives genuinely useful information when you get the question right, but listening to my mum made me wonder how the hell Google developed its assistant to work as it does.
This is roughly how it sounded:
Mum:
Hello Mrs Google... oh, I mean hey google (long pause), if its not too much trouble, please could you tell me how to get to Reading from Manchester.
Google:
The fastest way to reading by car is via the M6 and it will take approximately 3hours 20 minutes.
Mum:
Thank you. Oh, wait..no I mean by train please.
Google:
SILENT
Mum:
Oh... erm, Hey google.. I mean by train please, thanks.
Google
Sorry I don't understand
Mum
Hey google. what was it again, ermm, could you tell me how to travel to reading by train please... thank you.
Its amazing to me that this system actually understands what she's saying most of the time... with all the pleasantries, hesitation and unplanned sentence structure. But its also quite amusing to listen to.
And its genuinely useful for her to set timers and ask it for phone numbers or what the whether will be like tomorrow etc. I'm actually surprised how much she likes it.
However, has anyone ever listened to an old person trying to interract with voice control devices? Its hilarious...
For example, she was getting clever and trying to ask it how to get from A - B by train.
The amazing thing is that the google home gives genuinely useful information when you get the question right, but listening to my mum made me wonder how the hell Google developed its assistant to work as it does.
This is roughly how it sounded:
Mum:
Hello Mrs Google... oh, I mean hey google (long pause), if its not too much trouble, please could you tell me how to get to Reading from Manchester.
Google:
The fastest way to reading by car is via the M6 and it will take approximately 3hours 20 minutes.
Mum:
Thank you. Oh, wait..no I mean by train please.
Google:
SILENT
Mum:
Oh... erm, Hey google.. I mean by train please, thanks.
Sorry I don't understand
Mum
Hey google. what was it again, ermm, could you tell me how to travel to reading by train please... thank you.
Its amazing to me that this system actually understands what she's saying most of the time... with all the pleasantries, hesitation and unplanned sentence structure. But its also quite amusing to listen to.