Google’s Allo: A SmartChap App With Artificial Intelligence

One reason mobile technology is becoming disruptive is the proliferation of instant messengers. A few weeks back, Search Engine Firm, Google unveiled its latest and smartest chat App called “Allo.” uses Artificial Intelligence through the integration of Google Assistance, thus, making it distinctive.

Artificial Intelligence (Google Assistance) Makes it Unique

It was an avenue for Google to showcase its machine learning abilities. Google Assistant offers users brilliant web search facility and smart, intuitive replies, called “Smart Reply”. The Smart Reply usually pops up artificial responses to incoming messages. Hence, users do not need to spend much typing their replies to every message they receive.

“Depending on your outlook, this will be a useful way to speed up conversations or an unsettling glimpse into Google’s ability to analyze images and mimic human reactions,” said Alphr.

In other words, Google understands the context of the conversation between users, by programming series of reply options. Before Google does that through the help of Google Assistance, it must have gotten to know you and how you usually respond to individual messages, allowing it to make suggestions tailored to your style.

“The Google Assistant is the next chapter in a journey Google has been on for many years to assist people in their everyday lives. We’re starting with a preview edition to show you just one way that your Assistant will work for you in chat,” said Amit Fulay, Group Product Manager, Google.

Further, Google Assistant, presenting users with a chatbot named @Google. Together, you can chew the fat and have one-on-one conversations about restaurant recommendations, directions, the weather, news headlines and more.

“@Google is the main feature, and the app’s rivals cannot offer anything quite as simple to use just yet”, reports the Daily Telegraph

Meanwhile, you can also bring @Google into group conversations with a circle of friends to share the likes of a YouTube video or screening times at the cinema without having to leave the app and grab the link manually.

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Essential Features

• The Google Allo Chat App has a lot of emojis and stickers that they can use to express themselves or add to conversations.
• The app gives users the ability to comment and scribble on photos and videos (Android only) before sending them along and
• Allo has 25 sticker packs that were developed in collaborations with artists from around the world. Along with Gboard on iOS
• Users can also post GIFs on Allo.
• Google’s Allo is available for both iOS and Android users; all you need to do is to download from Google Play Store.
• It requires you to use your phone and not email before you start using it.
• Other features include group chats, stickers, emojis.
• Users scribble on photographs and animated messages

Similarities: Google’s Allo and WhatsApp

• Both Google Allo and WhatsApp interestingly share a lot of similarities, especially regarding their designs.
• Both can be used to share images, videos, voice messages, and stickers.
• Both require your phone number to activation.
• They have the quick reply from notifications feature, although the users cannot type responses in Allo’s case.

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Opinion of Users

Jeff Starkey, GreatFlorida Insurance agent, says Allo has potential but needs to grow. As a first launch, this app is fantastic. With WhatsApp breaking its promise of never having ads or selling your information and Telegram growing stagnant in development, Allo has the potential to be an excellent app.

“It just needs better stickers (like Telegram) and a desktop application as well as better Wear support to catch up with the others. I also would like to see SMS integration as well. Right now, there’s nothing that sets Allo apart from every other messaging app out there”.

In his views, Lorenzo Delcroix, Texas University noted that the app had amazing features but still needs work. The messaging features are great, but the integration with SMS is non-existent. Many people use SMS only, and a good integration with SMS would encourage many more users to try the app. iMessage style combination would be perfect.

“There is no quick reply from the notification (where you can type a full message) as there is for most messaging apps, such as Google messenger or hangouts. There is also not good support for Android Wear, which should allow you to read through your chats and reply to messages.

“Very intuitive and works across Apple and Android devices. There’s some room for growth as I’d prefer not to hop in and out of messaging applications (SMS vs. this). The assistant works surprisingly well, and I find it much more useful, said Shaun Oleson, Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina

However, “it appears I cannot link a Google Apps account to the assistant. That last component should already be permission within the Google Admin console as to whether permission should be allowed or not. Other than those small gripes, it works great and is a ton of fun to use.

Privacy Concerns

Ever since this App was launched, there have reports that Google has a way of storing up one’s’ messages.

The primary carrier of this message has been the American computer professional, Edward Snowden. “What is #Allo? A Google app that records every message you ever send and makes it available to police upon request”, he had tweeted.

On the contrary, Google had earlier claimed it would include end-to-end encryption, “storing messages transiently and in non-identifiable form,” similar to its prospective primary competitor, WhatsApp. However, the company announced drastic anti-privacy changes the very day it rolled out the app. “Allo users can still delete their messages as long as they want”, Google said.