Talking assistants are not limited to the likes of Amazon’s Echo and Alexa team, or to Google’s Assistant, or Apple’s Siri. Even Microsoft’s Cortana is much used in business.
What do these supposedly artificially intelligent voices do? Answering questions is high on the list. Among the crowd above, Siri is considered the dumbest of the lot, while Google’s Assistant– arguably, anyway– is considered the smartest. I found a list of questions you can ask both.
Assisting Siri
Google Assistant can run on many hundreds of millions of Android smartphones (and even on iPhone). Siri runs on many hundreds of millions of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and now Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod.
Marie Black put together a great list of 101 Funny Things To Ask Google Assistant and display the responses. Before putting Siri to the same test, your questions to Google Assistant may not yield the same responses and for a variety of reasons, but this is a fun exercise, not a scientific comparison.
Here’s how it goes:
Q. Okay Google, testing.
A. Uh-oh, I get nervous with tests.
Q. Okay Google, I’m bored.
A. You think you’re bored, I came out of a cardboard box. But I learned a lot of jokes in there.
Q. Okay Google, let’s party!
A. I’ve been partying this whole time.
Q. Okay Google, entertain me.
A. What kind of fun are you in the market for? I have quotes, facts and loads of jokes up my sleeve.
How does Siri handle such questions?
Q. Hey Siri… Testing.
A. I’m already rather well tested.
Q. Hey Siri… I’m bored.
A. We are not amused.
Q. Hey Siri… Let’s party!
A. That may be beyond my capabilities at the moment.
Q. Hey Siri… entertain me.
A. Who me?
Q. Hey Siri… tell me a joke.
A. At first, I didn’t like the idea of having a beard. Then it grew on me.
Yes, Siri has a little snark and a sense of humor. Just like always.
Q. Hey Siri… tell me a fun fact.
A. That may be beyond my abilities at the moment.
Q. Hey Siri… sing me a song.
A. You know I can’t sing.
Q. Hey Siri… what is the meaning of life?
A. I give up.
Q. Hey Siri… do you like iPhones?
A. I’m all Apple all the time.
Q. Hey Siri… what am I thinking right now?
A. Lunch, perhaps? (she was correct)
About a month ago, Jim Martin came up with a list of 45 fun things to ask Amazon’s Alexa. Here’s a sample:
- Alexa, get me a beer
- Alexa, are you a robot?
- Alexa, what are the three laws of robotics?
- Alexa, thank you
- Alexa, do you know Siri?
- Alexa, do you smoke?
- Alexa, tell me a joke
- Alexa, why did the chicken cross the road?
- Alexa, do a barrel roll
Siri was very helpful on “Get me a beer” and came up with a dozen nearby restaurant and bars and had a willingness to call or get directions.
Q. Hey Siri… what are the three laws of robotics?
A. A smart machine will first consider which is more worth its while; to perform the given task, or, instead to figure some way out of it.
That sounds more like the Siri we know and love and love to hate.
