BMW in Push For Voice Assistant Standard
BMW is part of push to bring standards for multi-platform voice assistants across industry and devices.
The carmaker is part of an initiative by leading technology companies announcing the Voice Interoperability Initiative – a new program aiming to make voice-enabled products flexibility enough to allow move choice by consumers when using them. The initiative responds to the desire that voice services should work alongside one another on a single device and that voice-enabled products should be designed to support multiple simultaneous wake words.
More than 30 companies are supporting the effort, including global brands like Amazon, Baidu, BMW, Bose, Cerence, ecobee, Harman, Logitech, Microsoft, Salesforce, Sonos, Sound United, Sony Audio Group, Spotify and Tencent; telecommunications operators like Free, Orange, SFR and Verizon; hardware solutions providers like Amlogic, InnoMedia, Intel, MediaTek, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm Technologies, SGW Global and Tonly; and systems integrators like CommScope, DiscVision, Libre, Linkplay, MyBox, Sagemcom, StreamUnlimited and Sugr.
The initiative has four priorities:
- Developing voice services that can work with others, while protecting the privacy and security of customers;
- Building voice-enabled devices that promote choice and flexibility through multiple, simultaneous wake words;
- Releasing technologies and solutions that make it easier to integrate multiple voice services on a single product;
- Accelerating machine learning and conversational AI research to improve the breadth, quality and interoperability of voice services.
“Multiple simultaneous wake words provide the best option for customers,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “Utterance by utterance, customers can choose which voice service will best support a particular interaction. It’s exciting to see these companies come together in pursuit of that vision.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
