Speaking of the iPhone, I just ugpraded to the 16 Pro because I want to try out the new Apple Intelligence features.
As soon as I saw integrated voice+text LLM demos, my first thought was that this was precisely the technology needed to make assistants like Siri not total garbage.
Sure, Apple's version 1.0 will have a lot of rough edges, but they'll be smoothed out.
In a few versions it'll be like something out of Star Trek.
"Computer, schedule an appointment with my Doctor. No, not that one, the other one... yeah... for the foot thing. Any time tomorrow. Oh thanks, I forgot about that, make that for 2pm."
Try that with Siri now.
In a few years, this will be how you talk to your phone.
The issue with appointments is the provider needs to be integrated into the system. Apple can’t do that on their own. It would have to be more like the roll out of CarPlay. A couple partners at launch, a lot of nothing for several years, and eventually is a lot of places, but still not universal.
I could see something like Uber or Uber Eats trying to be early on something like this, since they already standardized the ordering for all the restaurants in their app. Scheduling systems are all over the place.
I meant appointment in the "calendar entry category" sense, where creating an appointment is entirely on-device and doesn't involve a third party.
Granted, any third-party integrations would be a significant step up from my simple scenario of "voice and text comprehension" and local device state manipulation.
Many situations, prefer text to voice. Text: Easier record keeping, manipulation, search, editing, ....
With some irony, the Hacker News
user interface is essentially all
just simple text.
A theme in current computer design seems to be: Assume the user doesn't use a text editor and, instead, needs an 'app' for every computer interaction. Like cars for people who can't drive, and a car app for each use of the car -- find a new BBQ restaurant, need a new car app.
Sorry, Silicon Valley, with text anyone who used a typewriter or pocket calculator can do more and have fewer apps and more flexibility, versatility, generality.
As soon as I saw integrated voice+text LLM demos, my first thought was that this was precisely the technology needed to make assistants like Siri not total garbage.
Sure, Apple's version 1.0 will have a lot of rough edges, but they'll be smoothed out.
In a few versions it'll be like something out of Star Trek.
"Computer, schedule an appointment with my Doctor. No, not that one, the other one... yeah... for the foot thing. Any time tomorrow. Oh thanks, I forgot about that, make that for 2pm."
Try that with Siri now.
In a few years, this will be how you talk to your phone.
Or... maybe next month. We're about to find out.