Google Assistant Predicts Flight Delays

Google Assistant is now using historic flight status data and machine learning to predict whether a traveler’s flight will be delayed — before the airline even notifies customers.

According to Fortune, the service was launched earlier this year through Google Flights, but users can now get the information sent directly to their smartphones via Assistant. The company says that with its technology, it can predict with 85 percent accuracy whether a particular flight will be delayed.

To access the feature, users can simply ask, “Hey Google, is my flight on time?” or get more specific with something like, “Google, what’s the status of the American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Denver?” The Assistant will then search current flight delays and notify you.

As it aims to compete with Amazon’s Alexa, Google is working to make its Assistant better for users. Last June it launched Continued Conversation, which has made talking to Google Assistant easier. In fact, Assistant can speak to users in 15 different languages.

“For the Google Assistant to have a natural conversation, it should be able to understand when it’s being spoken to and should be capable of responding to several requests during an interaction,” wrote Jaclyn Konzelmann, product manager of Google Assistant. “We’re taking another step forward in making your interactions with the Google Assistant more natural with Continued Conversation.”

One month earlier, the company revealed that Google Assistant is connected to more than 5,000 devices in the home, including cameras, dishwashers, doorbells, dryers, lights, plugs, thermostats, security systems, switches, vacuums, washers, fans, locks, sensors, heaters, AC units, air purifiers, refrigerators and ovens.

The company added that one of the most popular ways people have been using the Google Assistant in their homes is to watch movies, TV shows and to play music. In fact, media and entertainment queries jumped 400 percent over six months.