• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

3

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

3

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
TechGoogle Now

Google Now Gets Better At Sounding Like A Real Person

By
Hilary Brueck
Hilary Brueck
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Hilary Brueck
Hilary Brueck
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 31, 2016, 9:01 AM ET
Undetectable Commands For Siri and Alexa Raise Serious Security Risks
A customer tries the Siri voice assistant function on an Apple Inc. iPhone 5 at a Telstra Corp. store on George Street in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, Sept. 21, 2012. Apple Inc. is poised for a record iPhone 5 debut and may not be able to keep up with demand as customers line up from Sydney to New York to pick up the latest model of its top-selling product. The device hits stores in eight countries today at 8 a.m. local time, giving customers in Australia the first chance to buy the device. PhotographerPhotograph by Ian Waldie — Bloomberg via Getty Images

Ask a smartphone voice assistant to answer a question or give directions and there’s little question you’re talking to a robot.

But Google’s latest version of Google Now sounds more like a person and less like a machine.

Google’s revamped chat bot won’t fool anyone just yet. But the new version accommodates more nuances of human intonation and speech patterns. It’s not just learning how to speak more naturally and add in subtle vocal changes, it’s also becoming a better listener—responding to longer, and more specific questions without too much pause.

Google’s voice assistant isn’t the only bot getting chattier. As Google tries to perfect the art of seamless conversation, just about every other big tech company is racing to make their own chat robot a little more helpful and a little less impersonal.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

This week Microsoft announced it’s bringing the Cortana voice assistant into Skype. The new feature is only in preview mode now, but eventually, it will anticipate Skypers’ needs—suggesting hotel bookings for upcoming trips, ordering food deliveries, and managing appointments.

Amazon is preparing its Echo assistant for a road trip—the technology will appear in some Ford Escape models this year, where it will help drivers remotely control the thermostats and lights in their homes from their Internet-connected car dashboard. Apple, meanwhile, is trying to bolster Siri’s image by upping its sports trivia game and enlisting Cookie Monster as an unofficial spokesman for the technology.

Google Now tops Siri and Cortana in Questionable Showdown:

It’s all part of the race to build a new kind of voice assistant, one that won’t respond poorly in a crisis or misinterpret commands (like some Echo systems recently did when they started obeying commands from voices on the radio).

About the Author
By Hilary Brueck
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

elon
Startups & VentureWealth
Elon’s wealth: 1 trillion dollar bills would stretch 97 million miles, to the moon and back over 200x
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
36 minutes ago
With SpaceX IPO, Elon Musk is the world’s first trillionaire — but he mostly lives in a tiny home in south Texas. ‘There is no food in the fridge’
Startups & VentureElon Musk
With SpaceX IPO, Elon Musk is the world’s first trillionaire — but he mostly lives in a tiny home in south Texas. ‘There is no food in the fridge’
By Jason MaJune 12, 2026
44 minutes ago
Elon Musk’s wealth could double the economy of his native South Africa as world’s first trillionaire
Startups & VentureElon Musk
Elon Musk’s wealth could double the economy of his native South Africa as world’s first trillionaire
By The Associated Press and Wyatte Grantham-PhilipsJune 12, 2026
57 minutes ago
musk
Startups & VentureSpaceX
Elon Musk, the trillionaire: pay packets go multi-planetary in SpaceX IPO
By Bernard Condon and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
1 hour ago
Warehouse workers with robot
SuccessJobs
Walmart has a message for its 2.1 million workers: AI is going to improve your job, not take it: ‘Technology will power our future’
By Emma BurleighJune 12, 2026
1 hour ago
blunt
Arts & EntertainmentReligion
Aliens are so mainstream the Catholic Church just fired an exorcist for saying UFOs are demons
By Krysta Fauria and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
1 hour ago

Most Popular

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
6 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
Innovation
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.