Analysts believe that the Internet of Things will be so decisive for the future of future society, culture, economy and politics that the label is abused. Thus, professionals such as Nick Hunn, founder of WiFore Consulting, argue that most of the devices that are currently categorized in this way are actually the same vertical machine-to-machine (M2M) products that have existed in recent years.
In its most basic approach, this technology is based on the collection of data and the subsequent application of algorithms to extract value from this information. It is not extraordinary that tens of thousands of devices need to be implemented to accumulate enough volume of material to provide enough value to justify the investment. It happens in smart cities or in systems to carry out remote surgical operations.
Another drawback of this mainstay of the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions is that a high domain is needed to maneuver with solvency in this environment, even if we are talking about users. What is new and at the same time affordable for the most authoritative experts is the so-called voice internet. And it is so because it takes a different route. You don’t expect anything from people, you just offer the possibility of being asked questions.
The answers come without the need to activate commands or press buttons. There are no keyboards or codes. For Hunn, author of The Essentials of Short Wireless, this is the biggest threat facing Apple and its iPhone-based empire. Considering the weight of the oral in the most advanced societies, it is surprising how little relevance it has had in the digital boom. At least, until now.
The perception of this attribute began to change with Siri, Apple’s assistant, first copied and then improved by Google’s Voice Search (Now); Microsoft’s Cortana; and Alexa, from Amazon. Citizens have gotten used to talking to their devices. According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, 20% of queries on this service are already expressed in this way.
In addition to replacing keyboard typing on smartphones, tablets, computers, consoles, or remote controls, as Siri, Voice Search, and Cortana do, Alexa has become a companion to consumers. The managing director of this product, Daren Gill, remembers that hundreds of thousands of people say “thank you” or “good morning” to the assistant every morning. “And half a million citizens have declared their love for her, and it’s no joke,” he concludes. As in Her (2014), the Spike Jonze film.