Artificial intelligence is moving well beyond a niche group of tech fans. It has become a mass product that many companies weave into their services, with virtual assistants leading the way.
Tech giants are already embedding generative AI into their assistants. Google and Microsoft have integrated it into their offerings, and Amazon plans an AI-based assistant this summer.
Even standard virtual helpers cover a broad spectrum of tasks — from storytelling to internet research to controlling smart-home gadgets like curtains or kettles.
first assistants
Modern virtual assistants emerged over a decade ago. The watershed moment was Apple’s Siri, which could provide weather updates, play music, and even warn users to switch off the stove by voice. It marked a breakthrough because most devices had struggled to handle tasks at such a sophisticated level.
Following Apple, other tech players rolled out assistants. In 2014 Amazon unveiled the Echo with Alexa — boasting about 50,000 skills, notably smart-home control, grocery delivery, and basic household tasks. The device proved incredibly user-friendly, sparking quick uptake in households seeking convenience. Within two years, sales surpassed 5 million units. Google responded in 2016 with Google Home, and the momentum continued: Google sold a Google Home Mini at a startling pace since launch.
Russian tech firms joined the wave later but with notable impact. Yandex released Alice in 2017, and soon VK introduced its own assistant. Marusya could assemble shopping lists, test password security, entertain children, and suggest activities when boredom struck. Sber built a family of assistants, each with a distinct personality and voice, giving users a choice that matched their style.
Answers according to scenarios
The earliest modern assistants, like Siri and Alexa, ran on built-in action scripts. A user might ask about a weather forecast, the assistant would convert speech to text, retrieve data from the web, and deliver a concise answer such as a forecast indicating a snowstorm and the expected temperatures.
Over the years, assistants gained deeper natural language processing and context awareness. They can interpret requests in multiple ways, for example, reminders of upcoming meetings can be phrased in various forms, yet the assistant grasps the intent and acts accordingly. This shift marked a move from simple queries to meaningful dialogue.
In the past, these tools handled straightforward searches and daily chores. The ability to sustain longer conversations or express opinions remained limited, and their interactions with apps could feel repetitive or narrow.
As compatibility with more apps and devices grew, the practical capabilities expanded but the underlying functions still often resembled routine tasks. Playing music or setting reminders remained highly valued, yet many found the basic feature set increasingly predictable.
GenAI answers
OpenAI’s ChatGPT launched a new era in 2022, driving major tech players to accelerate productive AI. This form of AI can generate new content based on its training data and has spurred widespread adoption within virtual assistants. It broadened reach beyond voice commands and added the ability to learn user preferences and adapt over time.
Today, startups and tech giants alike are investing in generative AI. In Russia, Yandex advanced its assistant with capabilities to find text, generate ideas, and tackle complex problems in 2023. Sber expanded with the GigaChat model, designed to understand Russian language nuances more deeply. Meanwhile, Western leaders began integrating generative AI into their assistants, with Google updating its voice tools and Apple signaling a shift toward more capable AI this year.
Venda-style updates have regional differences, but the trend is global: assistants are evolving to offer more than scripted answers, with capabilities that can adapt to user needs and contexts.
Industry observers note that the race is moving toward monetization, with some vendors introducing paid tiers for enhanced AI features. This shift reflects the high costs of advancing productive AI while balancing value for users and the economics of devices and services tied to assistants.
In the fall, Amazon announced an upgraded Alexa with built-in generative AI for a paid subscription. Microsoft follows a similar path with Copilot Pro as part of a premium plan. Google introduced Gemini, with higher tiers for more advanced capabilities, signaling a shift toward premium access for stronger AI performance.
Wait and see
The productive AI market is valued at billions, and forecasts remain optimistic about future growth. Analysts expect better context understanding, recognition of user emotions, and even varying tone depending on the conversation. While standard assistants without built-in productive AI may still exist, many brands are pushing subscriptions for more capable “superpowered” assistants. The goal is to offer services that feel closer to human-like interaction, while balancing cost and value for users who rely on smart devices daily.