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I don't know - the timer app on my oven is trivial too. But I always, always use Alexa to start timers. My hands are busy, so I can just ask "How many minutes left on the tea timer?"

Voice is not really clumsy, compared to finding a device, browsing to an app, remembering the interface etc.

Already when we meet a new app, we (I) often ask someone to show me around or tell me where the feature is that I want. Not any easier than asking my house AI. Harder really.

Hard to underestimate the laziness of humans. I'll get very accustomed to asking my AI to do ordinary things. Already I never poke at the search menu in my TV; I ask Alexa to search for me. So, so much easier. Always available. Never have to spell anything.



I think we're basically in agreement though.

Everyone agrees setting timers in the kitchen via voice is great precisely because your hands are occupied. It's a special case. (And often used as the example of the only thing people end up consistently using their voice assistant for.)

And asking an AI where a feature is in an app -- that's exactly what I was describing. The app still has its UX though. But this is exactly the learning assistance I was describing.

And as for searching with Alexa, of course -- but that's just voice dictation instead of typing. Nothing to do with LLM's or interfaces.


Alexa's search is a little different - it's context-independent. I can ask for a search from any point in the TV app - in some other menu, while watching another show, heck even when the TV is turned off.

And when describing apps - I imagine the AI is an app-free environment, where I just ask those questions of my AI assistant, in lieu of poking at an app at all.




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