Why it matters to you
Google Assistant is attempting to catch up with Amazon Alexa’s thousands of skills, and it looks like it might be on its way.
It’s still got a ways to go before catching up with Amazon’s Alexa, but Google Assistant is already proving its mettle with the addition of 10 new skills. The latest batch to join the internet giant’s smart home assistant are all conversation actions from third-party developers, and include such crucial information as the best wine pairings to go with your dinner, and whether your dog’s dinner was actually safe for him or her.
Having a virtual sommelier at your disposal certainly sounds like a worthwhile perk, and that’s precisely what My Wine Guide offers by way of its new Assistant integration. Simply ask your smart home hub what you should be drinking with your lamb chops tonight, and you’ll get an expertly tailored answer. On the other hand, Dr. Doggy serves as an on-demand AI vet so that you don’t always have to rush Fido to the pet doctor whenever he eats a bar of chocolate.
More: You may soon be able to pay for things with Google Assistant
The addition of these 10 actions brings Assistant’s total list to around 75. While that’s about 1/100th of the amount offered by Alexa, Google seems intent on chipping away at that lead. So far, the AI system can tell you about public transportation schedules in countries across the world, including Singapore, London, and Prague, and can also keep you updated on other public services like trash pickup or public pool times.
It’s not too shabby considering that the Actions on Google platform was debuted just two months ago. And at the very least, the brands that have jumped on the Assistant bandwagon are nothing to sneeze at — WebMD, Food Network, BuzzFeed, and HBO’s Westworld all have skills available on the Google hub.
While Google Assistant conversation actions currently remain exclusive to Google Home, they will soon be made available on Pixel smartphones and other Google devices sometime this year.