Cortana vs Google Assistant

August 12, 2023 | Author: Adam Levine
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Cortana
Cortana is your personal assistant on your Windows computer. She's there to help make things easier for you and keep you up to date on the things that matter to you. Whether it’s to keep you looped in with your world or help you manage your everyday life, Cortana is there for you.
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Google Assistant
Virtual assistant integrated in conversational user interface products: Google Allo and Google Home. You can ask a question for an answer, and follow up with multiple questions, with Google picking the conversation out and returning the right answer.
Cortana and Google Assistant are two popular virtual assistants developed by Microsoft and Google, respectively. Cortana, initially introduced as part of the Windows ecosystem, offers a range of voice-activated features and integration with Microsoft's suite of services and applications. It can assist with tasks such as setting reminders, managing calendars, and providing personalized recommendations. Google Assistant, on the other hand, is known for its extensive knowledge base, voice recognition capabilities, and deep integration with Google's ecosystem. It excels in providing accurate answers to a wide range of queries, accessing information from the web, and controlling smart devices. Google Assistant also benefits from its integration with various Google services, including Maps, Calendar, and Gmail.

See also: Top 10 AI Assistants
Cortana vs Google Assistant in our news:

2023. Google Assistant is getting AI capabilities of Bard



Google Assistant is now paired with Bard, that provides it generative AI technologies. The enhanced assistant can now handle a wider array of questions and tasks, delving into your Google apps such as Gmail and Google Drive to provide tailored responses to your queries, provided you opt-in for this service. For instance, you could inquire about your important unread emails from the past week, and the digital assistant can retrieve the relevant emails for you. Besides managing your inbox, this expanded functionality can also be utilized for personal tasks like planning trips, creating grocery lists, or composing social media captions. Google intends to observe how users interact with Assistant with Bard through this experimental launch before making the feature widely available on Android and iOS platforms.


2023. Microsoft replaces Cortana with Copilot in Windows



Microsoft is discontinuing its digital assistant Cortana in Windows, considering it as a stepping stone towards the future of AI. Instead of relying on Cortana, users will now turn to a smarter chatbot powered by GPT-4, thanks to Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI. In May, the company also announced integrating this new ChatGPT-based Bing experience directly into Windows 11. During this transitional period, Cortana will still exist in some capacity, but the standalone Windows app will no longer be supported. Nonetheless, users can access Cortana in Outlook mobile, Teams mobile, Microsoft Teams display, and Microsoft Teams rooms. To fill the void left by Cortana, Microsoft suggests exploring alternatives like Windows 11 voice access for controlling the PC through voice commands, the new AI-powered Bing, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Windows Copilot, which provide centralized AI assistance for Windows users.


2022. Google is integrating Assistant and Calendar reminders with Tasks



Currently, Google Tasks operates independently, separate from other Google services. While you can create tasks, subtasks, and set reminders in the Google Tasks iOS and Android apps, as well as through a side panel in Gmail or Google Drive on the web, these reminders don't seamlessly appear in your Assistant reminders. Furthermore, Google Calendar offers separate options for creating tasks and reminders, potentially causing confusion among users. To address this, Google is planning an update that will be rolled out in the coming months. Once implemented, when users set a reminder using Google Assistant, it will be visible in both the Tasks and Calendar lists. Additionally, users will receive a notification for task completion reminders at the designated time.


2020. Microsoft launches new Cortana features for business users



Cortana might have faced failure as a virtual assistant targeted at consumers, but Microsoft is maintaining its confidence in the platform for business purposes, now rebranded as a "personal productivity assistant" within Microsoft 365. Today, Microsoft unveiled several new Cortana services designed specifically for business users. Among these offerings is the widespread availability of Cortana for the new Microsoft Teams displays, which the company is launching in collaboration with various hardware vendors. These displays can be thought of as dedicated smart screens for Teams, similar to Google Assistant-enabled smart displays, but with a primary focus on meetings. In today's world, it is challenging to introduce a device like this without incorporating a voice assistant, and that's where Cortana comes into play.


2020. Microsoft to sunset Cortana on iOS and Android in pivot to productivity-focused assistant



Microsoft has announced the discontinuation of Cortana on iOS, Android, and Surface Headphones, as the company shifts its focus towards business and enterprise technology rather than consumer offerings. Instead of competing with established leaders in the virtual assistant market, such as Apple, Google, and Amazon, Microsoft will concentrate on integrating Cortana's features into its suite of productivity products, Microsoft 365. This strategic decision reflects Microsoft's commitment to strengthening its presence in the enterprise technology sector, where it has experienced significant growth, while Cortana has faced challenges in keeping up with its competitors.


2020. Google Assistant can now use your voice to verify purchases



Making purchases using your voice may offer convenience, but it lacks adequate security measures. Google aims to address this concern by introducing an optional voice verification test when utilizing Assistant. This new security feature relies on Google Assistant's Voice Match and is gradually being rolled out through a limited pilot program. The program aims to assess the effectiveness of this feature on smart speakers and smart displays. Recently, the Voice Match training feature was updated to include specific phrases, enabling Assistant to accurately identify the speaker. With improved accuracy, Google now considers Voice Match as a reliable additional layer of security.


2020. Google Assistant on Android can now read entire web pages to you



Google has begun the rollout of a new feature that allows Google Assistant to read entire web pages aloud. This functionality includes highlighting the text and automatically scrolling the page as it reads, making it easier for users to follow along with the story. Additionally, the read speed can be adjusted to suit individual preferences. If the web page is in a different language than the user's default setting, Google Assistant can automatically translate more than 40 languages into the preferred language. This feature is compatible with most modern Android phones, dating back to Android 5 (Lollipop).


2020. Microsoft’s Cortana drops consumer skills as it refocuses on business users



With the upcoming release of the next version of Windows 10 in the spring, Microsoft's Cortana digital assistant will undergo significant changes, particularly in terms of its consumer-focused capabilities related to music, connected homes, and third-party skills. As Microsoft stated last year, Cortana is now primarily positioned as a service for business users. The revamped Cortana will prioritize productivity and offer seamless integration with Microsoft's suite of Office tools. Consequently, consumer-oriented services are considered distractions, and Microsoft is ceding that market to competitors like Amazon and Google. Initially, these changes will only affect English-speaking users in the United States, while the rollout of most productivity features for users outside the U.S. will occur in the future.


2020. Google Assistant will be able to read texts


Google has introduced a new feature for Google Assistant on Android phones, transforming it into an advanced screen reader. By simply saying "Hey Google, read this," the Assistant will locate the main text on the webpage or article you are viewing and read it aloud to you. While screen readers have been available on phones before, Google claims to have enhanced the Assistant's capability to analyze sentences, resulting in more natural and human-like speech patterns. However, the most impressive aspect of this feature is that you can also request the Assistant to read the content in a different language, with support for up to 42 languages.


2018. Google Assistant gets custom routines and schedules



Google has recently introduced two new features for Google Assistant: custom routines and schedules, each providing unique ways to automate regular tasks. With custom routines, users can execute multiple commands with a single custom phrase. For instance, saying "Hey Google, I'm awake" can unsilence your phone, turn on the lights, and read the latest news. On the other hand, schedules allow the automation of a series of commands at specific times and on specific days, eliminating the need for manual activation. With schedules, tasks can be executed without the user having to utter a command. These additions enhance the convenience and efficiency of using Google Assistant for managing daily activities.

Author: Adam Levine
Adam is an expert in project management, collaboration and productivity technologies, team management, and motivation. With an extensive background working at prestigious companies such as Microsoft and Accenture, Adam's in-depth knowledge and experience in the field make him a sought-after professional. Currently, he has ventured into entrepreneurship, owning a thriving consulting and training agency where he imparts invaluable insights and practical strategies to individuals and organizations, empowering them to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. You can contact Adam via email adam@liventerprise.com