Why Google is right not to give its new personal assistant a gendered name
The name is Assistant. Google Assistant.
Google kicked off its big I/O developer conference on Wednesday by unveiling a new voice-powered digital assistant along with plans to use that assistant to power a hardware device similar to Amazon's Echo.
While the tool and hardware device look promising, some watching the event couldn't help but question why the assistant lacks some memorable name.
You May Also Like
Apple has Siri. Amazon has Alexa. Microsoft has Cortana. And Google has... Google Assistant and Google Home?
But there's an argument that not having a proper name may be a strength, not a weakness, of Google's new products for two key reasons.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
First, and perhaps most importantly, Google now avoids what has become an unfortunate trend of tech companies, all run by men, using women's names and women's voices (by default) for personal assistants.
Facebook M, an equally boring name for a personal assistant, is one of the few noteworthy exceptions.
From a business standpoint, Google appears hellbent on ensuring its users have a relationship with "Google," rather than any other proper noun.
"Whether we have a name or not, we think of this as Google," Scott Huffman, VP of Engineering for Search, said in a statement provided to Mashable. "We think of this as really a continuation of what Google has been doing for years and years."
Google is fortunate to have one of the most valuable brand names in the world that also doubles as a favorite verb for millions using the Internet. In many ways, Google is the original personal assistant for the modern Internet era.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Perhaps that's why Google has continued to encourage its users to say "Ok Google" and "Hey Google" with products like Google Glass, the Google app and now Google Assistant and Google Home.
Who needs a random new name when you already have a monogamous relationship with "Google?"
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Topics Google
Seth Fiegerman was a Senior Business Reporter at Mashable, where he covered startups, marketing and the latest consumer tech trends. He joined Mashable in August 2012 and is based in New York.Before joining Mashable, Seth covered all things Apple as a reporter at Silicon Alley Insider, the tech section of Business Insider. He has also worked as a staff writer at TheStreet.com and as an editor at Playboy Magazine. His work has appeared in Newsweek, NPR, Kiplinger, Portfolio and The Huffington Post.Seth received his Bachelor of Arts from New York University, where he majored in journalism and philosophy.In his spare time, Seth enjoys bike riding around Brooklyn and writing really bad folk songs.
