Google vs. Siri vs. Alexa vs. Cortana: Which Reigns Supreme?
In today’s society, we are surrounded by all sorts of technology. From televisions to wireless headphones to cars that drive themselves, tech is important to everyone, and in so many different ways. However, a type of technology that, in the recent years, has become very popular in households is voice assistants, from the Amazon Echo with Alexa to the Google Home with Google Assistant. However, out of the four most common voice assistants (Google, Alexa, Siri, and Cortana), which of them is the best? Well, keep reading to find out (sorry, Bixby).
Before we begin, we should get to know the assistants a little more to understand the purpose and origin of them.
Google Assistant
Created by Google in 2016, the Assistant was designed to be a conversational and two-way experience. It is widely used across all sorts of devices: computers, phones, watches, and smart speakers. (image above)
Siri
First made by Stanford Research Institute cohorts as an app in February 2010, Siri was bought by Apple two months later. In 2011, it was integrated into the iPhone 4S as a new feature, and it has been an iconic voice ever since. (picture above)
Alexa
Alexa is Amazon’s digital assistant, launched in 2014 along with the Amazon Echo speaker. Alexa can perform web searches, order products from Amazon, and act as a hub for compatible devices all via voice commands.
Cortana
Like the others, Cortana is a voice-controlled assistant. However, it is used on the Windows OS. Cortana will use the Bing search engine and data on the user’s phone/computer to make personalized responses.
I will put all of these assistants to the test in multiple categories, giving them a score of 1–5 in each. At the end, I will pick a winner based on their scores and perhaps other factors that come up during the experiment.
Devices used for test:
Google Assistant — Google Home
Siri — iPad Mini 3
Alexa — Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen)
Cortana — Dell Inspiron 15 3000 series
Category 1: Basic Search
On each of the devices, I asked 5 questions relating to multiple subjects to rate its ability to find and respond with accurate information quickly.
Questions:
1. What is the capital of Kazakhstan? (Geography)
2. Who created the polio vaccine? (Science)
3. How many COVID-19 cases are there in the US (as of May 27, 2020)? (Current Events)
4. Who painted The Last Supper? (Art)
5. Who wrote the book Echo? (Literature)
It was pretty obvious that every voice assistant would get a score of 5/5 on this one. Because each device uses a search engine that is likely to give the correct info, they each got all the questions right.
Category 2: Compatibility
All of these assistants may be good at searching for things, but another reason that these voice assistants are so desirable is their compatibility with other electronic objects like lights or TVs. In this category, I did some research about how compatible each assistant is with other devices and everyday objects.
Google Assistant:
Many Android phones, headphones, earbuds, smart speakers (like the Nest Hub or Google Hub), light bulbs, security cameras, and even TVs are compatible with Google.
5/5
Alexa:
Recently, Amazon made Alexa compatible with many more devices, integrating it into Echo speakers, earbuds, and other Amazon products. However, the assistant is also compatible with typical smart devices like light bulbs, locks, robots, headphones, and even some phones.
5/5
Siri:
It is little known that Siri is compatible with much more than Apple products (such as HomePod and the iPad/iPhone lineups). However, a lot of the devices that Alexa and Google are compatible with are also compatible with Siri. It is also one of the most largely used voice assistants in the WORLD (along with Google Assistant).
5/5
Cortana:
Cortana is compatible with some devices, but not nearly as many devices as the other voice assistants. Although Cortana is useful in devices such as Windows laptops and Xbox (both of which are Microsoft products along with Cortana), it is not widely used by the public. People normally use the other voice assistants as a means of assistance.
3/5
Category 3: AI Capabilities
Voice assistants use artificial intelligence to recognize human speech, do searches, and to process and carry out actions such as turning on light bulbs. However, which of these assistants is built in with the most complex and superior AI capabilities?
Google (4/5)
The search giant wants to turn AI into a personal help desk agent for you by utilizing over 70 billion facts about people, places, and things, which are fed into its Knowledge Graph. This database is, of course, powered by years of search queries made by people like you and I.
Alexa (4/5)
More artificial intelligence, specifically natural language AI, is finding its way into Alexa and in more ways. For starters, Amazon says it’s been using neural networks to make Alexa’s voice sound more human when it translates text (like your text messages) into speech.
Siri (4/5)
Siri is designed to offer you a seamless way of interacting with your Apple devices by you speaking to her and her speaking back to you to find or do what you need. You can ask questions, from asking her to show you something to asking her to execute certain commands.
Cortana (5/5)
Cortana used to represent Microsoft’s user-facing AI and resided largely in Windows devices, but now, it has evolved from a simple assistant to the technology powering hundreds of automated bots, architected by Microsoft’s customers.
Category 4: Diversity (Accents & Languages)
This category is to measure the ability of these voice assistants to comprehend and respond to multiple accents. This category also measures how the accent of the actual assistants is allowed to change.
Google (5/5):
Google can pick up most accents if you are speaking in well enough English for the AI to recognize. Google has recently taken the lead for the best accent recognition along with Siri. Google has been in use in phones and speakers across the world, and it very useful to pretty much anyone.
Siri (5/5):
Siri is known for its wide range of accents (South African, Indian, British, Australian, American, Male, Female). Along with Google, it has taken the lead in the field of recognizing accents.
Alexa (4/5):
Alexa is shown to be fairly proficient at comprehending accents, but it is not as great as Siri and Google. It is not great at detecting heavy accents, so some people won’t be able to seamlessly use Alexa.
Cortana (3/5):
Although Cortana is making many big advancements in machine learning and data analytics, it is not the best assistant for detecting accents and is incapable of picking up heavy accents.
Awards:
In the end, each assistant is great in its own way. Scores like the ones I gave don’t always dictate what is best for your use. Always search and find out which one is best suitable for you.
Best Use of AI and Machine Learning
Cortana
Although Cortana is not the greatest for home use, Microsoft is utilizing it for many advanced machine learning and AI projects that I am truly excited about! Let’s see the underdog do something great!
Most Diversity of Accent Recognition and Languages
Siri
Although Google can pick up a few more accents than Siri, Siri is very proficient in Language Recognition and usage of more languages.
Best Compatibility with Other Devices
Alexa
Alexa is compatible with SO many different devices: lights, security cameras, speakers, headphones, and much more!
The Best One Is…
Google Assistant!
It is the perfect blend of usability, AI, diversity, and compatibility. It is perfect for many devices and phones, and is probably the perfect smart speaker assistant for your home.
