Researchers often call 2017 the year of the conversational computer in China. Leveraging recent advances in voice recognition and natural-language processing, e-commerce giant Alibaba and search giant Baidu have both been developing technology to crack voice-based communication (see 10 Breakthrough Technologies: Conversational Interfaces.) Now voice-operated products derived from Baidu and Alibaba’s technology are coming to the Chinese market.
The Tmall Genie, which has Alibaba’s voice assistant, AliGenie, built in, is akin to the Amazon Echo. It can place online orders, check the weather, play your favorite music, and control other smart devices in your home through voice commands.