Alice has received updates: quick commands and improved chat

After the May holidays, Yandex unveiled updates for Alice and devices that support it. Now the virtual assistant has become even more convenient and clear, and new features open up more possibilities for controlling your smart home.

So far, the virtual assistant has become even more convenient and clear, and new functions open up more possibilities for controlling your smart home.

Fast commands are now enabled by default on all devices

From May, quick commands are active on all Stations and TV Stations from Yandex. Users can control playback and navigation without calling Alice’s name. Just say “Louder,” “Quieter,” “Further,” “Stop” or other commands, and the device will immediately fulfill the request.

All you have to do is say “Louder,” “Quieter,” “Further,” “Stop” or other commands.

For example, you can adjust the volume with your voice by selecting the commands “Quieter” or “Louder”, change tracks with the word “Next”, or stop playback with the command “Stop”. To control the TV Station interface, you can use the commands “Below”, “Above”, “Left”, and “Right”.

Continuing a conversation without Alice’s name is now available on TV Stations

The feature that allows you to continue a dialog without repeating the assistant’s name now works not only on Midi and Duo Max Stations, but also on all TV Stations except Basic. This is made possible by the use of neural processing units (NPUs) that support complex neural networks.

Alice listens to the user for an additional 30 seconds after responding, recognizing whether the conversation is ongoing or over. To activate this feature, you’ll need to enable the “Respond without name in dialog” setting in the Home with Alice app. The feature is available in beta mode.

The new YandexGPT 5 Lite

Alice is now using the updated YandexGPT 5 Lite model, a lightweight version of the new neural network. It’s available on all devices without the need for a Pro Mode subscription. The updated model allows Alice to understand queries more accurately, respond in a more structured way, and offer solutions for everyday tasks, learning, and work.

Alice now uses YandexGPT 5 Lite, a lightweight version of the new neural network.

Chat responses have become more detailed and creative, and on devices, more concise and conversational. There’s a new feature called the Search button in chat that gathers information from a variety of sources and provides summarized insights.

For users who want advanced features, Pro mode remains available, which includes access to YandexGPT 5 Pro, live mode, English learning, and more.

The story Alice gets updates: faster commands and improved chat was first published at ITZine.ru.