The evolution of software development and conversational assistants

Description

For decades, the relationship between developer and computer was simple: the human told the machine what to do. Next came machine learning systems, where the machine was in charge of computing the functional logic behind developer-supplied examples, typically in a form that humans couldn’t even understand. Now we are entering a new age of software development, where humans and machines work collaboratively together, each doing what they do best. The developer describes the "what"—objects, actions, and goals—and the machine produces the “how,” writing the code that satisfies each user’s request by interweaving developer-provided components. The result is a system that is easier to create and maintain while providing an end-user experience that is more intelligent and adaptable to users’ individual needs.

Adam Cheyer explores concrete examples of this software trend applied to a next-generation conversational assistant. Adam then offers an overview of a freely downloadable development environment so that you can give this a try yourself and start monetizing your content and services through a new channel that will be backed by more than a billion devices in just a few years.