The era of open voice assistants (home-assistant.io)

Article summary

Home Assistant has launched Voice Preview Edition, a hardware device designed to work with their open-source voice assistant, Assist. The device is fully open and customizable, with advanced audio processing and a community-driven approach. It is available now for $59 and aims to provide a private and local voice assistant experience. The device is part of Home Assistant's goal to create a viable alternative to existing voice assistants.

Main themes

• Open-source voice assistants
• Private and local voice control
• Customizable hardware
• Community-driven development
• Alternative to existing voice assistants

What commenters say

• Some users have experienced a decline in the quality and responsiveness of existing voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant.
• The high cost of running advanced AI models locally may be a barrier to improving voice assistant functionality.
• Others argue that the decline of existing voice assistants is due to a lack of investment and prioritization by the companies behind them, rather than technical limitations.
• There is a desire for more transparency and openness in voice assistant technology, including the ability to run models locally and customize hardware.
• Some users are willing to pay for hardware and support open-source projects like Home Assistant, but prioritize privacy and local control over cloud-based solutions.
• The ability to run voice assistants locally and privately is seen as a key advantage of open-source solutions like Home Assistant.