Microsoft Puts Cortana at the Very Start of Device Interaction

A new Windows update will allow users to set up their devices by voice command. The functionality will be included in the Creator’s Update, and will be based on the Cortana platform, Microsoft’s voice-based AI assistant.

It’s another sign of the growing prominence of voice interaction as a user interface, with companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google investing more and more resources in their own voice-based platforms. As Fortune points out, given the preponderance of its Windows operating system in business environments, Microsoft has an opportunity to try to embed Cortana in the enterprise sector, whereas Amazon and Google have focused on the smart home with their offerings.

Microsoft also has an opportunity to offer enhanced security through Cortana with voice biometrics. Microsoft recently enabled the system to learn to recognize a particular user’s voice. Given Microsoft’s growing emphasis on biometric security with its Windows Hello platform, it may eventually be possible to use Cortana for user authentication as its voice biometrics technology continues to advance.

Source: Fortune