During the Build 2019 conference in Seattle, Washington, Microsoft's digital assistant, Cortana, was announced as a conversational artificial intelligence and could soon rival established competitors like Amazon's Alexa. This means that Cortana will be able to hold an entire conversation with users and complete complex tasks. This is due to Microsoft's acquisition of Semantic Machines Inc., a california based company which is focused on contextual and multi-tasking voice-based AI.
By allowing Cortana access to Microsoft's software combined with the digital assistant skills that are provided by competing services such as Amazon's Alexa, Cortana is aiming to be the digital assistant that can follow you across all devices and platforms that are used for both business and leisure.
Microsoft is calling Cortana an intelligent agent. Stating that it will be the same digital assistant that helps you manage your work calendar, while also helping you find the best route to your destination and the best restaurants nearby. All of which are done by the other digital assistants available, however, they are not nearly as seamless as Microsoft's Cortana will be.
Based on what Microsoft has shown, both on the Build 2019 show floor and in marketing materials, Cortana will not function solely on its own, but will also utilize third party assistants.
Microsoft wants their users to be able to converse with Cortana, you can ask the digital assistant questions about a topic or a place while doing other things that a digital assistant would normally do. You can schedule an appointment or a reservation through the digital assistant and let it help you find the best place near you. You can also let it show you the direction and the best route, and you can even ask it questions in the middle of doing all of these. If Cortana can't get the information that you are seeking, it could contact a third party developed digital assistant.
The vision for this relies heavily on service and product makers who are willing to invest and take part on this project. If they don't, then Microsoft won't have much to work with. One example of a third-party service and product maker is Apple. Apple's iOS is known to be restrictive when it comes to allowing their functions to interact with third-party applications and services. For this vision to work, Apple will need to loosen their grip on their inter-app functions so that the Cortana intelligent agent can truly blossom.
