Watch Out Siri, ‘Viv’ is Coming

The team that made Siri says new voice device Viv can do almost anything for anyone just by talking normally to it.

The team that created the voice-operated Siri device is unveiling what could be the next step in that technology.

A person using Siri just talks into a smartphone or other internet device, says something like “Find me a pizza place” in a designated area, and the software dutifully produces a list. At least most of the time.

But that’s so 2015.

The team behind Siri is debuting what they tout as the next generation of artificial intelligence, a virtual personal assistant called “Viv.”

Programmed to bypass apps and messenger windows, someone only has to tell Viv “order me a pizza with anchovies” and the device will pick the closest, most-cost effective place, pick the toppings, place the order, even pay for it if its set up to, and then report back about when and where it will be ready. All without the user having to do a thing.

Developers say the uses for Viv are almost unlimited.

Google and Facebook have reportedly already tried to buy the rights to Viv before it launched.   

Author

  • Quinn Klinefelter is a Senior News Editor at 101.9 WDET. In 1996, he was literally on top of the news when he interviewed then-Senator Bob Dole about his presidential campaign and stepped on his feet.