The shopping aspect is approximately useless. It is an awful experience: It seems to be incapable of producing good results, and it is impossible to correct the results without using some manner of computer.
This means that it's a lot like shopping with a [pocket] computer is, but with even more steps.
(Nobody wants this in its present form. It does not fucking work.)
I do enjoy some aspects of having an always-listening device that I can command to do stuff (like play some music, or to turn on a light, or look up some random factoid), but they've made it almost impossible to succeed at using it to do the thing they seem to so-desperately seek: Allowing me to spend my money more freely on Amazon.
I'm glad that Amazon thought they could make money with Alexa; mine is currently fantastic as an universal remote control (using Zigbee) and music player (using Spotify).
I could see Ameca only being compatible with Amazon services if it had been launched a few years later.
Tie it to an as-yet-unknown startup company that sends people to your house very quickly to perform individual light housekeeping tasks. "MicroMaids.com" or some such.
Sounds invasive and scary, but I would've said (and probably did say) similar things about a service that connected you with strangers for the purpose of getting into their cars.
That's an easy route to a 10- or 11-figure company with a huge liability policy and a very fat band of warm bodies in the middle that all conspires to mean both high prices, and minimal pay with terrible terms for those doing the work -- just like Uber.
Other than the fact that it broadly sounds awful, I don't see a downside. I'd sometimes love to have such a service myself: I have plenty of money to buy services and very little time when I'm busy, but when I'm not busy I have plenty of time to do these things myself, which I prefer. Hiring things to be done on a regular schedule doesn't really work for me.
But an informally-arranged, impromptu service? Maybe?
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"Alexa, mow the lawn."
"OK. Greenscape will arrive today between 3 and 4PM to mow the lawn. By the way, did you know that Husqvarna offers automated electric lawnmowers? Would you like to know more?"
This means that it's a lot like shopping with a [pocket] computer is, but with even more steps.
(Nobody wants this in its present form. It does not fucking work.)
I do enjoy some aspects of having an always-listening device that I can command to do stuff (like play some music, or to turn on a light, or look up some random factoid), but they've made it almost impossible to succeed at using it to do the thing they seem to so-desperately seek: Allowing me to spend my money more freely on Amazon.