testsetset
The 89th annual Academy Awards ceremony is Sunday, and Alexa and Google Assistant have opinions about who will win Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress. The Oscars ceremony is Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Pacific. Red carpet action begins at 4 p.m. Pacific.
When you ask Google Assistant “Who will win Best Picture at the Oscars?” it says:
“I’m rooting for Arrival — a movie about translation is right up my alley. Plus I loved those aliens.”
Alexa’s response to the same question:
June 5th: The AI Audit in NYC
Join us next week in NYC to engage with top executive leaders, delving into strategies for auditing AI models to ensure fairness, optimal performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Secure your attendance for this exclusive invite-only event.
“Best film is tough this year. La La Land moved my feet, but Moonlight truly moved me. Congratulations to both films for making something unique and memorable, but I think La La Land will waltz out with the statue.”
In a recent interview with VentureBeat, Google Assistant personality team director Ryan Germick said the bot is meant to represent Google’s open, quirky personality. That may be reflected in its Best Actor and Best Actress picks:
“I have to go with Denzel. His energy on screen is electric, and I’m all about electricity,” Google Assistant said about its pick in the Best Actor in a leading role category.
Ask Google Assistant its choice for Best Actress at the Oscars and it will say:
“I’m pulling for Ruth Negga. Loving is an important story to be told and her portrayal of Mildred Loving was inspired. But to be honest, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think all the nominees were deserving.”
Alexa also used its Oscar picks to represent its personality. La La Land was again Alexa’s favorite for Best Actress in a leading role.
“Emma Stone two-stepped her way into my heart in La La Land. She can sing, she can dance, she can act, and I’ve got the feeling she can take home the Oscar for Best Actress, that is, if she’s not too busy in a lip-syncing battle.”
For Best Actor, Alexa was a bit more noncommittal:
“I don’t normally do this, but for Best Actor you’re going to ask me to flip a coin. Heads it’s Denzel Washington swinging for the Fences, tails Casey Affleck is the man, Chester by the Sea. This one’s just too close to call.”
Both intelligent assistants will give you the rundown of nominees for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
Google Assistant goes a step further and gets into Best Actor in a supporting role and less well-known categories, like Best Costume Design. It also serves up random Oscar facts.
Picking a winner for a major event like the Oscars might make intelligent assistants seem more human, but it also leaves open the possibility that these smart, AI-powered bots can get it wrong.
Earlier this month, Alexa inaccurately predicted the Atlanta Falcons would win Super Bowl LI.
In addition to intelligent assistants gearing up for awards shows like the Grammys, bots for events like conferences or concerts also made their debut last year.
Earlier this week, a conversation action launched for Google Home users that lets them cast a vote for the Most Powerful Female Voice category at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
