Samsung is the latest to join the artificial intelligence (AI) race to create the smartest digital assistants by acquiring Viv, a Silicon Valley based startup launched by the same entrepreneur who sold Siri to Apple.
The deal — announced on Wednesday — offers a great opportunity to Samsung to compete with Google’s Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana and especially with Apple’s Siri in one of the most attractive field of computer science — Artificial Intelligence.
Google recently released a bunch of new devices powered by Google Assistant including Google’s Pixel smartphones, Google Home, Google Wifi, Daydream View VR, Chromecast Ultra and more at its hardware event this Tuesday at San Francisco.
Watch Video: Google announced Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones powered by Google Assistant
Samsung is planning to implant Viv into its galaxy smartphones, televisions, fitness trackers and other electronic devices. However, Samsung didn’t disclose howmuch it paid for Viv — a Latin word for “Life”. The name is meant to underscore Viv’s mission to “breath life into inanimate objects”, according to Dag Kittlaus, the CEO and co-founder of the San Jose, California startup.
Kittlaus started Viv in 2012, shortly after leaving his job as director of iPhone apps. He joined Apple after the iPhone maker bought Siri in 2010. Apple began including Siri in iPhones five years ago, spurring other companies to develop their own assistants.
“We see a future that is decidedly beyond apps, where you can get what you need quickly and easily no matter where you are, or what device you are near,” Kittlaus said.
Also read: Google releases Allo: a smart messaging app powered by Google Assistant
Apart from CEO Kittlaus, fellow Viv co-founder Chris Brigham also formerly worked on Siri.
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