Home Are Smart Assistants (Siri, Alexa, OK Google) a regional thing?

[Spanky Deluxe]

I've long been baffled by the amount of people talking about smart assistants online and their uses; people genuinely talking about how they like Amazon stuff better because Alexa is better than Siri, talking about buying one product over the other based largely on the smart assistant or how they'd like to add a particular smart assistant to a room. Meanwhile there I am, and I just don't get the appeal but moreover I don't actually know anyone that likes them apart from one friend who does actually use Siri. He's an American.

It made me wonder if the use of smart assistants is a cultural thing. Forgive me for going discussing stereotypes but Americans are known here (the UK) as being loud and demanding and so maybe Americans don't give it a second thought when talking to a smart assistant in front of people or even on their own. For me (and I've spoken to my friends about this who agree and feel the same way), it's awkward and embarrasing to talk to a smart assistant. I would *never* say "Hey Siri" when I thought there was even a remote chance that someone else could hear and even when I'm on my own, it feels awkward to talk to my phone or computer or whatever when I could just unlock it and do it myself.

For what it's worth, I have several devices that *could* be controlled with voice - a plethora of Apple products, smart thermostats in most rooms, smart kettle and coffee machine, smart home enternainment system, smart washer and dryer etc. I never do though, I always unlock my phone and use the respective app instead in silence.

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree though and hardly anyone actually cares about smart assistants and it's just something that only tech writers and manufacturers care about with the rest of the world thinking it's a waste of time.

I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this.

 

[zea]

I'm in the US, and I never even thought about using Siri in public (this was pre-Alexa). But then I saw other people doing it, and though it was still a bit weird to me at first, I got used to it. Especially once Google's assistant came out and I heard people all over saying "OK Google", which is way more awkward and silly sounding than "Hey Siri", I think I got comfortable with it. We have an Echo at home and the girlfriend and I use it to turn on lights/set timers without even thinking about it. There's definitely a process of acceptance though.

Maybe it's not so much a regional cultural thing but a community cultural thing? I can't say for sure, but I bet if you saw more people using it around you, you'd use it more. There could be other parts of the US where nobody uses it, and if I lived there, maybe I wouldn't use it in public as well. I work in IT so it's natural for me to doing stuff like that. The ONLY reason I use Siri with voice is because it's faster than opening the Hue app on my phone to find the respective light to turn on or off.

If this thread is HomePod related: I for one am happy to replace the Alexa with the HomePod though because Alexa doesn't always get the command right, so, hopefully, it'll make for less awkward situations or repeated commands.

 

[boodle]

There are certainly cultural elements to the equation but I expect they appear in most societies. Talking to machines is a relatively new concept and many people are not comfortable with it. Thankfully, I rarely see/hear people using voice control in public in the USA.

I'm hoping gestural control will continue to improve, particularly as wearables become more popular.

 

[IGI2]

If it is strange for you, then think about countries which don't have Siri in their language.

Imagine if you would have to speak to your phone in French + in public.

That's how it is with Siri or Alexa in Poland.

Not only do you need to speak to a computer, but also in a different language with your not native-like accent. This is the next level of awkwardness.

 

[madeirabhoy]

I've long been baffled by the amount of people talking about smart assistants online and their uses; people genuinely talking about how they like Amazon stuff better because Alexa is better than Siri, talking about buying one product over the other based largely on the smart assistant or how they'd like to add a particular smart assistant to a room. Meanwhile there I am, and I just don't get the appeal but moreover I don't actually know anyone that likes them apart from one friend who does actually use Siri. He's an American.

It made me wonder if the use of smart assistants is a cultural thing. Forgive me for going discussing stereotypes but Americans are known here (the UK) as being loud and demanding and so maybe Americans don't give it a second thought when talking to a smart assistant in front of people or even on their own. For me (and I've spoken to my friends about this who agree and feel the same way), it's awkward and embarrasing to talk to a smart assistant. I would *never* say "Hey Siri" when I thought there was even a remote chance that someone else could hear and even when I'm on my own, it feels awkward to talk to my phone or computer or whatever when I could just unlock it and do it myself.

For what it's worth, I have several devices that *could* be controlled with voice - a plethora of Apple products, smart thermostats in most rooms, smart kettle and coffee machine, smart home enternainment system, smart washer and dryer etc. I never do though, I always unlock my phone and use the respective app instead in silence.

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree though and hardly anyone actually cares about smart assistants and it's just something that only tech writers and manufacturers care about with the rest of the world thinking it's a waste of time.

I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this.

as a brit (abroad) I sort of agree. however I love my google home, its because at home theres only me and the wife. so I will happily 'hey google play bbc radio 2' cos its a lot easier than finding my phone, opening an app...

however I will never use siri even on my watch if anyone is present at work or out.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I don’t use any of them in public but at home I use siri, Alexa and the google assistant. I would feel stupid talking to them outside but at home they have their uses. A lot of it is about training. If you train yourself to ask the assistant questions then it will become second nature to you and more straight forward than opening the phone and using an App.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I use Siri all the time in public. Not to worried about how people think around me. I am running my company and setting timers and appointments not to mention temp and volume conversions are requested multiple times a day.

Some worry too much about what other think. In the end the one with the most toys, wins!

 

[cynics]

I understand the loud and demanding (otherwise obnoxious fat american stereotype) but to me its not about that sort of thing. It's all about the convenience that once you get used to doing things more of a "manual" way seems slow and counterintuitive.

I'll use Siri exclusively to make phone calls anymore just because its faster. Raising the phone to my head and saying "Hey Siri call xxxx" is just faster and easier then unlocking the phone, going to contacts or phone, finding the contact (even in favorites), selecting their number and then finally calling. While that would make someone in a third world country roll their eyes its a technology that is readily available to me so why not use it? Same with a location based reminder, so much easier to have Siri handle it (Hey Siri remind me to xxxx when I get home/work/friends house/etc etc). Setting alarms. Just things of that nature.

There is definitely a time and place for sure. You wont catch me using Siri in public but thats mostly because I've gotten good at making it look like I wasn't using it to begin with. And I've also gotten rusty at not using it, like making phone calls lol.

And while driving its just MUCH safer. Sending text, playing music, making calls, etc etc all things that would have had me take my eyes off the road.

In private I'll use Siri A LOT. Siri is great for asking math equations, the definition and spelling of words, random facts that I'm just slightly curious about (today I asked the speed of sound in MPH because I was trying to calculate distance of lightning lol), etc etc.

Its not perfect and if it was a real personal assistant I would have fired her ass a long time ago but for the simple stuff Siri does ok. Same applies to other smart assistants, Siri just works the best for me currently.

 

[Anuba]

Voice assistants have been around for a long time (Siri since 2011), and for years they were little more than proof of concept and acquired taste, but there’s a paradigm shift happening right now on the same level as the handsfree revolution (Google Home Mini is selling like hotcakes, I would expect HomePod Mini and HomePod Nano any minute now). 15 years ago, anyone talking out loud in the street without holding a phone to their ear was most likely a basket case. With the ubiquity of AirPods and other true wireless earbuds like Jabra 65t, people appearing to be speaking to themselves are everywhere (they tend to be middle aged, since millennials don’t do voice calls). The same is starting to happen with voice assistants now. Give it five years and nobody will raise an eyebrow.

The deeply ironic thing here is of course found in the juxtaposition of aforementioned trends: On one hand, people under 30 (and many over) no longer want to deal with voice calls. On the rare occasion that their phone actually rings, they look at it in disgust and horror. They only want to communicate in text and emojis. Even while driving. Meaning they’d rather murder people through reckless driving than have a phone conversation. While on the other hand, voice assistants are making a big splash because hey, who can be bothered with typing when you can just blurt something out without lifting a finger. Typing is so 2018.

And there it is: A society where people send text messages to eachother and reserve the actual talking for machines(!). The next step is obvious – millennials, who feel that voice calls are faux-pas but are also too lazy to type, will use a voice assistant to dictate text messages, while the receiver who is too lazy to read will use their voice assistant to read back these text messages, so what we ended up creating with all this cutting edge tech is a very elaborate and expensive answering machine...

 

[Donar]

Hi,

i‘m from Germany. You probably know we are these Guys who only pay cash and a are reluctant to change anything. I usually do not use Siri outside, but like to use it to start Navigation,Playlists and phone calls or send a text message in the car. We are not allowed to touch our Smartphone in Germany while driving. So „Siri Hands Free“ is a great thing to have.

Smart Thermostats at my Home are usually set by a Home Automation System, so i have no big need to set them by voice. But i like to ask Alexa or Siri to start the radio/a Playlist, light up the Christmas tree or turn on mood lightning for watching a Movie.

Voice Assitants are also great for the people without a smartphone of a household (e.g. Kids) or People who are not so technically inclined (my wife). Open up the Sonos App to start the Radio? Just kindly ask Alexa to do it for you.

 

[dontwalkhand]

I use it all the time, and I am here in Arizona. I use it mostly to turn on a light, open the garage door, or turn the temperature up and down. In public, I use it call people, and sometimes I will dictate a text because I am too lazy to type it. In the car, I use Siri almost exclusively, and use the next track and previous track button on the steering wheel. I never use Siri on the bus or train because it is too loud. But in the car, I use it all the time, in the store I use it all the time. I don't care what others think, I am getting **** done.