Microsoft Buys AI-Powered Scheduling App Genee (thestack.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Stack: Microsoft has announced that it has completed its acquisition of artificial intelligence-based scheduling app Genee for an undisclosed amount. The app, which was launched in beta last year, uses natural language processing tools and decision-making algorithms to allow users to schedule appointments without having to consult a calendar. Prior to the acquisition, Genee supported scheduling across Facebook, Twitter, Skype, email, and via SMS. From September 1, Genee will close its own service and will officially join Microsoft, supposedly the Office 365 team. Microsoft believes the addition will help it "further [its] ambition to bring intelligence into every digital experience."

Comments

Schedule an appointment without a calendar?

[Anonymous Coward]

Last time I tried that I scheduled a bowling outing with by buds on my anniversary. Not smart. I'll stick to checking a calendar first.

Re:Schedule an appointment without a calendar?

[jellomizer]

I think Microsoft will first need to improve its Exchange Calendars first to allow better booking ability. I get way too many emails asking about my availability.

Re:Schedule an appointment without a calendar?

[hsqueak]

Most of the time I find those people never bothered to look, or haven't discovered "new" features like the Scheduling Assistant.

Now..

[fred911]

If the could only find someone with an OS genee, they'd be all set.

Re:Now..

[Afty0r]

Yeah, their OS is never going to take off ...

And that's the end of that....

[Bearhouse]

As the innovative, entrepreneurial founders will soon leave in the face of crushing politics and bureaucracy, while what could have been a helpful cross-platform tool (for those with zero clue about privacy) will be crippled to "work" only with MS products...

Re:And that's the end of that....

[swb]

Microsoft, where innovation goes to die.

And in Office 2018, a new feature will be enabled by default that will automatically destroy your calendar based on a Bayesian analysis of your email content.

Re:And that's the end of that....

[Rob Y.]

Hard to imagine Microsoft couldn't have developed this capability on their own. And if it's going to be MS products only, then they didn't need to worry about buying market share - since they already own the Exchange market. So, unless there's something truly innovative about this company's tech (doubtful), or they really want a cross-platform product (also doubtful), it looks like Microsoft might really have bought them to take a cross-platform product off the market - and if so, sucks.

Then again, they might want to suck gmail or yahoo mail users into exchange calendaring while keeping Google's calendar from implementing something similar before Microsoft could...

Re:And that's the end of that....

[chispito]

As the innovative, entrepreneurial founders will soon leave in the face of crushing politics and bureaucracy

That is what happens to most startups after acquisition. The ping pong table, beer in the fridge, and T-Shirts all have to go.

Re:Are we really too dumb to cope with calendars n

[bjwest]

Have you met the average person? Some of them will have difficulty with calendars. Now remember that the majority of the population is even less intelligent.

Just the code and only the code

[ITRambo]

Since it's Microsoft buying them, more than likely they want a snippet of the code, and the coders. The rest may just sit and rot since Microsoft is spinning too many plates while juggling them.

Re:Are we really too dumb to cope with calendars n

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Here's one for you, you're very welcome.

Another company down the drain

[OneHundredAndTen]

That has historically been Microsoft's modus operandi - acquire a company and then proceed to destroy it. As usual, consider yourself middle-fingered, Microsoft.

Re:Intelligence into every digital experience?

[vel-ex-tech]

Nope, sorry, your request has been flagged as sexual harassment by Cortana, and this incident has been reported!

I would rather have a butler, personally. I don't need some asshole AI playing fucking identity politics and reminding me that I'm an inferior, incomplete assigned male who must be constantly re-educated about just how awful being a woman is.... Because I could have no possible way to understand how people treat you when they think you're a woman.... No siree! None whatsoever, you bathroom rapist! Get back to being a sex slave! That is your only purpose in life!

The Penis is evil! The Penis shoots Seeds, and makes new Life to poison the Earth with a plague of men, as once it was. But the Gun shoots Death and purifies the Earth of the filth of Brutals. Go forth, and kill! Zardoz has spoken.

Re:Are we really too dumb to cope with calendars n

[bjwest]

I've met quite a few adults that can't tell time with an analog clock, some that even think a quarter of an hour is 25 minutes. I'm pretty sure they still teach how to use analog clocks in school, and it's not rocket science. If they reach adulthood without knowing how to use a clock, how many of them can tell you what day is three weeks from today?

Offloading basic cognitive functions to a phone isn't a sign of intelligence, no matter how much they slap the word "Smart" on product names.

There is a difference between lack of intelligence and ignorance, and only one of them can truly be overcome.