The software secretaries | The Economist

From an intelligent assistant market snapshot

"All these firms still have kinks to work out, but the sophistication and range of functions of their personal-assistant software are expanding (see table). The rise of Siri et al signals two important trends that will shape the future of the consumer internet: the evolution of “search”, away from typed search-engine queries towards a more personalised, interactive service, and a gradual shift from individual apps to an ecosystem of services that is mediated by a powerful software assistant.

According to Gartner, a research firm, around 38% of American consumers have used virtual-assistant services on their smartphones recently; by the end of 2016 an estimated two-thirds of consumers in developed markets will use them daily. Software robots are getting better at predicting what users need based on past behaviour and current location."

The software secretaries | The Economist