4 ms·

Ask HN: If you would have a virtual assistant, what would you make him/her do?

2 points by cosbgn 4y ago

I'm curious to know what are the top things you would outsource to a virtual assistant

cameron_b 4y ago
- creating listicles while driving - checking if I / my wife turned off the stove, locked the door, turned off the water leaving the house - analyze sensor data, weather reports and camera images to answer questions like "Do I need to water the garden this morning?" or "How are the bees doing?"
- cosbgn 4y ago
  Second is impossible for a virtual assistant no?
  - cameron_b 4y ago
    Image classification, flow meters, lock status, not impossible
dexwiz 4y ago
- Schedule my day - Filter email for actually important emails I may have missed - Check in periodically to keep my on task
rendall 4y ago
Use AI + personal data + sensor data to suggest patterns or correlations in my life that may be helpful or harmful Remind me of birthdays and prompt me to keep me in touch with people Quiz me on subjects I am learning Suggest meals based on what is in the pantry Keep my shopping list up to date Remind me of paperwork, bills and other deadlines
- cosbgn 4y ago
  How these would actually work in real life? AI + data seems a data scientist job, not really something a virtual assistant could do. For meals & shopping list it would need physical access to your fridge no? For bills and paperwork also physical access is needed, right?
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - rendall 4y ago
    Sorry, I thought a virtual assistant was like Siri or Alexis. A home automation assistant. I think at this stage I'd ask one to track certain people down and daily nag them to get back to me. That's facetious. I'll have to give it some thought
beardyw 4y ago
Organise my whole life and laugh at my jokes.
EddieDante 4y ago
I'd make it do social media on my behalf, to boost my profile without having to do the work myself -- or being tempted to shitpost. I'd also get it to deal with tech recruiters and abuse them if they aren't naming the companies they represent and providing hard numbers on wages. Hell, I'd let my virtual assistant deal with the entire internet so that I need no longer do so. It's thankless work best automated.

2 points by cosbgn 4y ago

I'm curious to know what are the top things you would outsource to a virtual assistant

- creating listicles while driving - checking if I / my wife turned off the stove, locked the door, turned off the water leaving the house - analyze sensor data, weather reports and camera images to answer questions like "Do I need to water the garden this morning?" or "How are the bees doing?"

cosbgn 4y ago
Second is impossible for a virtual assistant no?
- cameron_b 4y ago
  Image classification, flow meters, lock status, not impossible

dexwiz 4y ago

- Schedule my day - Filter email for actually important emails I may have missed - Check in periodically to keep my on task

rendall 4y ago

Use AI + personal data + sensor data to suggest patterns or correlations in my life that may be helpful or harmful Remind me of birthdays and prompt me to keep me in touch with people Quiz me on subjects I am learning Suggest meals based on what is in the pantry Keep my shopping list up to date Remind me of paperwork, bills and other deadlines

cosbgn 4y ago
How these would actually work in real life? AI + data seems a data scientist job, not really something a virtual assistant could do. For meals & shopping list it would need physical access to your fridge no? For bills and paperwork also physical access is needed, right?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- rendall 4y ago
  Sorry, I thought a virtual assistant was like Siri or Alexis. A home automation assistant. I think at this stage I'd ask one to track certain people down and daily nag them to get back to me. That's facetious. I'll have to give it some thought

beardyw 4y ago

Organise my whole life and laugh at my jokes.

EddieDante 4y ago

I'd make it do social media on my behalf, to boost my profile without having to do the work myself -- or being tempted to shitpost. I'd also get it to deal with tech recruiters and abuse them if they aren't naming the companies they represent and providing hard numbers on wages. Hell, I'd let my virtual assistant deal with the entire internet so that I need no longer do so. It's thankless work best automated.