Indians love being in love. From Karan Johar’s movies to ideas of puppy love in colleges, we are enamoured by the idea of love. The masses are romantics. And while we know love is blind, it has taken another leap in today’s digital age.
We are in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where man and machine are collaborating to achieve great things. But now, they seem to be collaborating in love too.
Google’s assistant, Ok Google, received 4.5 lakh marriage proposals in India. Available in Hindi and English, it has become very popular in India. While Siri is very expensive, Ok Google is the people’s princess.
This may have been anticipated in the series, ‘The Big Bang Theory’, where the Indian astrophysicist Raj gets a new iPhone and starts dating Siri because he cannot talk to any real girls.
Image Credit: TV Series – The Big Bang Theory
Though the situation is comic, it speaks of the larger malaise underlining it. Man and his machine have become so connected, that we seem to be forgetting the line separating the two. From just ordering or requesting your machine, Google has made conversation possible. It is so human like that one can guess how a simple request can turn into something romantic for so many lonely Indians.
Developing voice-enabled gadgets has become one of Silicon Valley’s most hotly contested technology races. And Microsoft is putting its Cortana helper in everything from laptops to thermostats. Even Amazon’s Alexa is becoming a favourite on their Echo speakers.
From predicting text and the irritating auto correct to recognising your every need, soon machines and technology will understand human psych enough to make them fall in love.
Google’s personality team has been turning Assistant into a digital helper that seems human without pretending to be one. This often involves analyzing the subtext of why someone may have asked a particular question in the first place. When asked “Will you marry me?”, Assistant does not give a straight answer, but deflects that it is flattered its owner is looking for more commitment.
Soon, you may never feel lonely with Google around. And yet, it is important to keep that phone down and head out to meet a real person.
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