The Telegraph My details My newsletters Logout Upgrade to Premium My details My newsletters Logout The Telegraph My week with a very bossy robot [ChatBotsHumans_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bqek9vKm18v_rkIPH9w2GMNtm3NAjPW-2_OvjCi which portrayed artificial intelligence robots Credit: Des Willie/Kudos/Channel 4 12 April 2016 • 6:42pm After two decades being an office worker, I finally made it.
 I now have a personal assistant.
 She’s called Amy Ingram and she’s super-efficient, works all hours, though occasionally she emails me in the middle of the night.
 Also, she refuses to fetch me a cup of coffee or file my expenses.
 But that is because Amy is a robot, and exists purely as a piece of software, sitting on a server somewhere on the east coast of America.
 She is the latest, and possibly the most interesting, version of a phenomenon that has taken Silicon Valley by storm: chatbots.
 These are computer software programmes that are able to communicate with humans through artificial intelligence and, possibly, help run their homes.
 Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, is developing an AI robot Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, is developing an AI robot Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder, announced that he was going to dedicate his spare time to building a “simple AI”, similar to Jarvis, the robotic butler in Iron Man.
 “I’ll start teaching it to understand my voice to control everything in our home – music, lights, temperature and so on.
 I’ll teach it to let friends in by looking at their faces when they ring the doorbell,” he explained, adding that the robot could also be used to check up on his baby daughter, Max, when he was away.
 “You'll never have to call 1-800-Flowers again” Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook On Tuesday night he announced, at the F8 Facebook conference, that he would allow third-party developers to build chatbots inside its Messenger app.
 In theory, this would allow users to 'talk' directly to businesses rather than people having to go through an app or call customer services.
 "You'll never have to call 1-800-Flowers again," Zuckerberg said during a demonstration of how the chatbots will work.
 Depending on your outlook, this is extraordinarily exciting, or a nightmare out of the Channel 4 series Humans, when bots start to interfere with their owners’ lives.
 But the revolution has already started.
 Indeed, many of you might already have used a chatbot, in its simplest form, without realising it.
 “There are a number of daily tasks that I’d love help with.
 Something that could summarise all the emails I get sent during a day would be great” Sabine Hubert, lecturer in robotics at Bristol University First, there’s Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana, mobile phone software that uses very basic artificial intelligence to understand your voice and answer your questions.
 Also, some companies, such as Ikea, use chatbots to answer standard customer service enquiries when you get in touch with a complaint.
 Research firm Gartner estimates that up to 85 per cent of customer service centres will go virtual by 2020.
 But AI becomes more interesting when it is used to help ordinary families, rather than companies.
 Indeed, many believe they will replace apps on our smartphones as the ultimate aid to making modern life simpler.
 Sabine Hauert, lecturer in robotics at Bristol University, says: “We need to work out where we need help.
 There are a number of daily tasks that I’d love help with.
 Something that could summarise all the emails I get sent during a day would be great.
” My secretary, Amy Ingram (AI – geddit?
), is designed to help people organise their diaries and set up meetings.
 That’s all she can do.
 But she goes about it in a freakishly human-like way.
 In fact, after using her for a couple of weeks, various contacts of mine – after communicating with her over email – said they had no idea she was not a real person.
 For her to do her job, you need to give her access to your electronic diary, set a few preferences (your three favourite coffee shops to meet in, for example), and copy her into any emails about meetings you want to set up.
 She then takes over.
 Not just by sending out a calendar invitation to the person you want to meet, but also by making sure the time fits around both of your schedules, and nudging people to accept the calendar invitation.
 Reminders can also be sent, if you want.
 Dennis Mortensen, chief executive of x.
ai, the company behind Amy, believes there are 10 billion meetings in the US every year, and his invention can reduce the tens of billions of emails that ping-pong between people to set them up.
 Pepper the humanoid robot, manufactured by SoftBank Group Pepper the humanoid robot, manufactured by SoftBank Group Credit: Bloomberg News What is remarkable is how Amy “chats” to your contacts about whether they’d prefer a coffee meeting, or clarifying the address of where you are meeting.
 All emails sound as if they are written by a human – until she starts to email your contacts at two in the morning, telling them that they really need to confirm the time they want to have lunch with me.
 Pushy doesn’t come into it.
 Realistically, she is not for me.
 I prefer an old-fashioned paper diary and the telephone.
 But I am intrigued by AI’s potential in the home.
 As well as Amy, I’ve also been trying out a new Bosch “smart fridge” that has in-built cameras.
 When I am at the supermarket, I can look at my phone to see if I’ve run out of milk, or I need more ham, which is very clever.
 It is meant to help cut down on waste.
 Though its claim that I can zoom in to see the best-before date on my fromage frais is laughable – the quality of the pictures are like those taken on a KidiZoom camera.
 For five times the price, Samsung has a more sophisticated version which incorporates Amazon’s Alexa, a chatbot that can compile shopping lists for you.
 John Lewis staff member Lauren Gray demonstrating a Samsung Family Hub refrigerator, costing £4500.
 John Lewis staff member Lauren Gray demonstrating a Samsung Family Hub refrigerator, costing £4500.
 Credit: Clara Molden for the Telegraph “This is just phase one,” says Johnathan Marsh, director of buying, electricals, at John Lewis, who says the next iteration is likely to be able to scan your food and then make recipe suggestions from what needs eating up.
 Marsh says customers are increasingly asking for “smarthome” gadgets, such as Nest, a souped-up thermostat that uses basic AI to “learn” your habits so that it can automatically turn down the heating when you leave the house and – more cleverly – turn it on an hour before you come back from work.
 A Nest thermostat, which uses AI A Nest thermostat, which uses AI Credit: Clara Molden for the Telegraph But is the risk that the machines take over?
 Marsh says: “This is not about taking over your life, it reacts to your behaviour and routines.
 But in a time-poor culture, the way the technology is evolving should free you up to spend higher quality time with your friends and family.
” Or, possibly, with Amy.
 Follow The Telegraph READ MORE ABOUT: If you would like to add a comment, please register or log in Register Log in Please review our commenting policy Editor's Choice 24 Dec 2017, 7:00am The Archers' Simon Williams: The day I played Father Christmas in the village fayre 14 Dec 2017, 6:14pm Comment: From Diet Coke to Peppa Pig, men need saving from sexist stereotypes too Angela Epstein Premium Angela Epstein the billionaires’ in the next US presidential election – and the chance to become America’s first Jewish president 24 Nov 2017, 6:00am Michael Bloomberg on Trump, Brexit and whether he'll run for president Premium nipples and intelligence levels.
 She will go on sale in January for £15,000 03 Nov 2017, 6:00am Meet Harmony: Could a 'sexbot' reboot your unhappy relationship?
 Premium 28 Oct 2017, 7:00am Charlie Puth: ‘I’ve dated famous and not-famous girls.
.
.
 now I need someone who cares about my heart' Follow The Telegraph Galleries Gallery 27 Dec 2017, 3:30pm Gallery: 14 of the best wet shave razors for men Gallery 27 Dec 2017, 2:49pm Gallery: 10 of the best weekend bags for men Gallery 22 Dec 2017, 5:30pm Gallery: 10 of the best men's waxed jackets Men latest sex is utterly terrifying.
” 06 Jan 2018, 12:11pm Sober sex - the Dry January side effect that nobody talks about Premium 06 Jan 2018, 9:00am Comment: The January Joggers are here, and they are a plague upon our pavements Jonathan Eley Premium 06 Jan 2018, 7:00am Dear Graham Norton: 'My wife and I were splitting up - now she has dementia' Premium but not motherhood 05 Jan 2018, 4:11pm How my success-hungry generation fell out of love with motherhood Premium Meryl Streep: 'One day we're going to have to thank Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein' Premium now archaic proceedure which could be causing him consistent and persistant pain 05 Jan 2018, 12:48pm What is scalp reduction?
 The 'barbaric' hair loss treatment said to be used by Donald Trump 05 Jan 2018, 11:55am Comment: A month in prison for each woman John Worboys sexually assaulted: How is this justice?
 Joan Smith Premium 05 Jan 2018, 9:29am Richard Hammond: 'I never thought for a second that cars would be my job.
 I wanted to be David Attenborough' Premium 05 Jan 2018, 7:00am Dear Graham Norton: 'My father urgently needs a fashion intervention' Premium 04 Jan 2018, 6:05pm What would you do if you knew the world was going to end?
 One Day actor Jim Sturgess on his new apocalyptic BBC drama Premium 04 Jan 2018, 5:00pm Could your moggy be a show cat?
 Here's how I trained my pet for feline crufts 04 Jan 2018, 12:56pm Screens and teens: survival tips for parents on the technology battlefield 04 Jan 2018, 12:00pm Comment: The Archers' Simon Williams: 'I want to own up about a bad thing I did' Simon Williams Premium 04 Jan 2018, 12:00pm Dear Graham Norton: 'My grumpy expat brother wants to be more involved in our family life' Premium 03 Jan 2018, 8:16pm What's behind this crippling plague of perfectionism?
 Premium 03 Jan 2018, 4:39pm Comment: Before we damn boys for using steroids, we need to understand their complex body image issues Natasha Devon Premium 03 Jan 2018, 2:33pm Meet the (real) knight of YouTube: the millionaire businessman bringing history to life after showing apparent dead body in video of Japan's 'suicide forest' 03 Jan 2018, 2:32pm Anatomy of a modern apology: how stars say sorry – and why it makes us angry 02 Jan 2018, 12:42pm James Norton on starring in BBC's gripping new series McMafia - and those Bond rumours Premium 02 Jan 2018, 11:01am How to shift your Christmas bulge in four weeks 02 Jan 2018, 6:37am The 13 relationship resolutions we should all make for 2018 Premium Please support us by disabling your adblocker We've noticed you're adblocking.
 We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism.
 We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.
 Thank you for your support.
 Need help?
 Click here for instructions