Conversational Computing: How Natural Language User Interfaces will change how we use computers.
Natural Language User Interfaces are the next evolution in human-computer interaction.
Looking back at the history of computing, one of the most striking trends is the gradual shift toward simplicity in human-computer interactions. Over the past half-century, every leap in UI/UX technology has streamlined the way we interact with computers, making tasks faster, easier, and more intuitive. From the days of command line interfaces to the advent of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), the focus has been on making computers more accessible to users.
As we enter a new era of computing powered by generative AI, we are witnessing the next step in this evolution: the rise of Natural Language User Interfaces (NLUIs). NLUIs enable users to interact with computers in a way that feels natural and conversational, using everyday language to complete tasks and retrieve information. Forget navigating a cumbersome toolbar when making a PowerPoint presentation or building an Excel model. With NLUIs, you can easily generate and execute commands by typing (or speaking!) to your computer.
NLUIs have the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with computers across many industries and applications. Consider the following examples:
PowerPoint: A user can use NLUIs to create a presentation, add text, insert images, and apply formatting. For example, the user can say "Add a new slide", "Insert a picture", or "Apply a theme".
CRM: A salesperson can use NLUIs to manage customer relationships. For example, the salesperson can say "Update customer record with new contact information", "Schedule a meeting with the customer next week", or "Retrieve customer's order history".
Financial Planning and Analysis: A CFO can use NLUIs to perform tasks such as retrieving data or making calculations. For example, the analyst can say "Retrieve the latest financial data for Company X", "Calculate the profit margin for Q1", "Generate a report on the top-performing stocks in the healthcare sector", "Retrieve the latest sales data for the current quarter", "Calculate the net present value of a new investment opportunity", or "Forecast revenue growth for the next fiscal year".
Banking: A user can use NLUIs to manage their bank account, check their balance, transfer money, or pay bills. For example, the user can say "What is my account balance?", "Transfer $50 to my savings account", or "Pay my electric bill".
Customer Support: A user can use NLUIs to get assistance for a product or service. Instead of navigating through a complex menu or waiting on hold, the user can simply say "I'm having trouble with my product", "Can you help me troubleshoot?", or "I need to return an item", and the NLUI will connect the user with a customer support representative or provide automated assistance.
Video Editing: A video editor can use NLUIs to edit videos by giving voice commands. For example, the editor can say "Trim the clip at 1 minute and 30 seconds", "Apply a color correction filter", or "Increase the volume of the background music".
Photoshop: A user can use NLUIs to edit an image, apply changes. For example, the user can say "Increase brightness by 20%", "Apply a sepia filter", or "Crop the image".
-Bennie iii