If you equip your home with smart speakers, lights, etc., you should always decide if you want to use Google, Amazon, or Apple. Apparently it doesn’t have to be. According to Sonos, it has long been possible to use several AI systems in parallel.
Unfortunately, anyone who wants to smartly furnish their home at the moment has to choose a tech giant. Do you want to control your smart speakers, lights, etc. with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa or does it have to be Apple’s Siri?
Sonos explained to the Washington Post via Zoom how a parallel process for Alexa and Google Assistant could work. Sonos calls on Concurrency technology. A white Sonos One loudspeaker was used for the display station. First, according to the report, Sonos’ assistant product manager asked if he needed a jacket tonight in Nashville. Google Assistant answered. Then he asked the same question to Alexa, who also added mustard. By the way, Alexa was right about the weather forecast, and the assistant was not. According to Sonos, Concurrency is designed in such a way that no assistant provider can access interactions with other helpers.
The idea of Concurrency came against the background of competition. Ten years ago, Sonos did not have the resources to develop a global artificial intelligence to compete with Amazon and Google. So in 2016, Sonos began developing technology that would allow consumers to use different AI systems at the same time. The loudspeaker manufacturer obtained a patent and apparently started pitching the idea to other companies as early as 2018.
Brilliant idea, one would think as a consumer. Because if you want to shop Smart Speaker, for example, you can only shop at that store on Amazon. In addition, Alexa saves everything and deletes data only if it is actively done. Google is now less data consuming. No, but they seem to have Googled it. According to the “Washington Post”, Google refused to grant Sonos the release of the product. According to Sonos, Google’s distribution agreement states that the Google Assistant should act as the sole AI.
Google declined an interview request from The Washington Post. The tech company only responded with a comment that Sonos provided “misleading information” about the history of the two companies’ collaboration.
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