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New Alexa Blueprints Let Users Make Custom Skills Without Knowing Any Code (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Amazon just released a new way for Alexa users to customize their experience with the virtual assistant. New Alexa Skill Blueprints allow you to create your own personalized Alexa skills, even if you don't know how to code. These "blueprints" act as templates for making questions, responses, trivia games, narrative stories, and other skills with customizable answers unique to each user. Amazon already has a number of resources for developers to make the new skills they want, but until now, users have had to work within the confines of pre-made Alexa skills. Currently, more than 20 templates are available on the new Alexa Skill Blueprints website, all ready for Alexa users to personalize with their own content. Any blueprint-made skills you make will show up on the "Skills You've Made" section of the blueprints website. While these skills will exist for your Amazon account until you delete them, they aren't posted to the general Alexa Skills score, so strangers will not have access to your couple's trivia game that's personalized for you, your spouse, and your best coupled friends.
What does this even mean? What does "making a skill" have to do with those stupid recording devices?
I don't respond to AC's.
Just because you don't have to understand enough to produce a source file that get's compiled, linked and then run does NOT mean you are not engaged in "programming" something.
Teaching Alexia a Skill REQUIRES that you understand the necessary sequence required to convey to the device what you are asking it to do. IF you don't follow the sequence, Alexia won't do what you want. Alexia is going to just give you a crash course in how to program it any time it isn't sure what you want. This isn't all that different than what I do all day... Write code, compile code, deal with the errors if any, link and run to see if it works... The only difference is you are just talking and the repertoire Alexia understands is extremely limited.
SO I'm calling BS... You may not know going in how Alexia has to be programed, but if you try, Alexia will TRAIN you how to program, then accept your program once you understand how to say it.
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Are there any limitations?
The first skill I'd create would be "Privacy"
Probably the second would be "Alexa?" Order me some blackjack and hookers. /s
Some kind of Hypercard for AI is the next step. Perhaps an AI could even produce it on its own.
even if you don't know how to code
Code? What does coding have to do with Alexa? The article is talking about 'skills', which is a completely different field!
And custom code without any skill too. Woo-hoo!
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
... so strangers will not have access to your couple's trivia game that's personalized for you, your spouse, and your best coupled friends.
Exactly what kind of games is Amazon expecting people to make -- and will they support a password and/or safe-word?
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
I'd like to license Mr. Gottfried's voice as a replacement for Alexa's voice, then add in some less-than-fully-helpful responses to all end-user queries. The only missing piece is how to push this image to all the Alexas in the greater Washington DC area, but that's just a minor technical issue.
The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
skills.
I wrote a story for my son. Turns out Alexa won't say poop. Goddamnit.
All the best programs are made by people who don't know how to code, right?
It really sounds like IFTTT, but Amazonified.
Alexa is a BRAINWASHED LIBERAL:
https://youtu.be/MECcIJW67-M