Gladchenko Mikhail Lapshin and Alexander, Tendy: «Our virtual assistant helps relieve head"
Makradar Technologies / / December 19, 2019
Before our eyes is now formed a new niche of mobile applications - Consumer AI, or artificial intelligence consumer niche. Pioneering steel company Luka and Tendy. And if Luka works on the Western market and is going to do to move to New York, then Tendy relies on Russian users. Today our guest co-founders Michael Tendy Gladchenko and Alexander Lapshin.
Tendy - a new class of applications, which are applications some are not. This so-called bots, which can work with a variety of messengers?
Alexander Lapshin: Yes. We used an open API for sending / receiving messages and wrote Tendy bot. Bot can work in any messengers. While only in the Telegram, but in the future we will do a version WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. For the user, it looks like a regular contact in the messenger. By the way, we did not expect the emergence of bots, and when they suddenly appeared, we realized that found themselves in the trend.
Admit it, on the other hand live person sitting? This it communicates with the user?
Michael Gladchenko: Not. Tendy works in semi-automatic mode. This is sort of a virtual assistant, and his main task - to help a person to unload the head.
That Tendy of artificial intelligence, and that from a man?
Alexander Lapshin: I want to emphasize that we do not do AI in Tendy. Setting targets when Tendy ask for something to remind, it is processed automatically. We identify certain patterns of behavior. When we have accumulated an array of data, we have to watch that you can automate. All data entered into the CRM, which is designed from the ground up, our php-developer Anatoly Skornyakov. We started with a delayed sending messages, then established the automatic recognition of text and setting notifications. Now that's implemented coordination with Google calendar. But some non-standard questions that could not be processed in an automatic mode, proceed to the man.
Will there be a future for some intersection with artificial intelligence from the movie "It"?
MG .: AI - basically a very controversial phrase, and its realization is impossible in the near future for a thousand reasons. For example, due to the nature of human language. You can take the proposal to rearrange the words, and this recognition will change, and the sense - no. It is not so easy to implement. Understanding the context of the dialogue - this is the most difficult moment in the development of AI. Take Siri. She sdyhaet after a couple of issues, and throws you on Google.
Siri and Cortana you see as competitors, or they are from another area?
AL .: We look at the planning narrowly. If Siri in the calendar will bring the information, the timer will lead, Googling for you, Tendy focuses on scheduling tasks. But people are not yet fully accustomed to speak the voice of the machines. It is easier and faster to write a couple of lines.
How did the idea Tendy?
MG .: We were on Tolstoy Camp, which was organized by "Yandex", and there became acquainted with each other. First we did a smart alarm clock which, depending on the situation on the roads, waking you up sooner or later. As a result, we have found that people are not interested. It came to light a problem that people do not have to wake up sooner or later, they have to go to bed on time, and the problem will be solved. Then we decided to make the MVP-concierge.
MVP - Minimum viable product (minimum viable product), you have a product where you can test the main hypotheses. In this case, the word "concierge" meant that we did everything hands, that is, tested the hypothesis at all without programming anything, just by sending SMSes.
We got up at 5 am and started to wake everyone. First it started to make our designer Anna Kuchuganova.
AL .: And she sent not only a reminder but also smiles and jokes. One of the first customers in the screenshots posted his Facebook, and then to us lined up. It turned out that people need emotions, and this form of work fired.
On what principles are now arranged in communication with the users?
MG .: Working with Tendy begins with onbordinga. Onbording - an adaptation of the new user to the methods of work with Tendy. We explain to the person how to use Tendy, that we can, and that - no, we train with the first action Tendy. And all this is done in the format of mini-games. Then the user already sets targets and interacts with Tendy.
If you google the tag «market Consumer AI», the fall only two Russian-language links, one of them leads to Tendy. So, you are the pioneers in RuNet. Explain what is the Consumer AI?
AL .: Consumer AI - Artificial Intelligence is the consumer. Its essence is to communicate with the computer in ordinary human language. The main difficulty of the task and at the same time - to learn how to engage in dialogue. We believe that this is a promising market. Apple and Google are actively working in this direction, but they have to work across the entire spectrum of human interests. And we focus on a particular niche.
It is interesting to be present at the point when everything has just begun. I think in Consumer AI smart perspective, and I wish you success.