Which is better: smart speaker or butler? Comparing the skills of helpers in the 19th century and today

1. Maintain property security

Butlers hired wealthy families in Victorian England. In the 19th century, these assistants had a lot of work to do. For example, keeping an eye on the estate while the owner is traveling, locking up the house and putting out all fireplaces and candles at night. True, the dwellings of the British rich were much larger than modern ones. If someone decided to appropriate the master's tapestries and crystal, it was quite difficult to hear a suspicious noise at the other end of the house.

Smart speakers can also protect the property of the owner. For example, some models analyze the sound around them and report if they hear something suspicious. Sensors for opening and closing doors are connected to the gadget. Wondering if the house is locked? Relax and check the app on your smartphone. And you can also configure leakage sensors and stopcocks. If the gadget recognizes the splash of water, the owner will receive an alert and will be able to block it with a couple of taps.

Verdict: draw. The butler of the house is likely to scare off potential thieves. But with the column, the repair will remain intact, and the neighbors below will not bill for the damaged ceiling.

2. Manage the house instead of the owner

Butler followed for table setting, cleanliness of silverware and furniture. Him was the key from a storehouse with expensive services and a cellar in which drinks, meat, cheese and other delicacies were stored. The majordomo could take over the duties of other servants - for example, clean the master's bedroom or help him get dressed. By the way, there were no batteries in English mansions. The butler could see to it that the landlord's bed heated up special copper utensils with coals.

Smart speakers can perform these functions through the climate control system. You can set the temperature on the air conditioner or heat the floor in the bathroom. Of course, the column itself will not clean anything, but forks made of precious metal are a rarity in the 21st century. But it is easy to connect sockets to the gadget, remotely start a humidifier or boil water in a kettle. In a smart home, you can set up even the most “lazy” scenarios: for example, raise the curtains while lying in bed, or turn on the light from the next room.

Verdict: column wins. It seems that household appliances have been coping with washing dishes and storing food for a long time. But to enjoy the dawn, you don’t have to shout at the whole house and wait for the butler to open the curtains.

3. Entertain the household

The butler appreciated loyalty and devotion to the owners, because he could live with them in the same house all his life. Many managers never not marriedto fully focus on the interests of the family in which they worked. The butler was the perfect conversationalist. He always kept ready short, effective phrases to answer questions, did not correct owners and did not go home without permission.

The gadget can also become a friend for all households. He will read a bedtime story to young children, help a teenager with lessons, tell you the latest news or an anecdote. The device will adapt to the user's interests and recommend suitable content: music, weather forecast or podcasts. And the owner can spend with the column at least all the time in the world, without worrying about the personal life of his assistant.

Verdict: the gadget again bypassed the person. A smart column will find memes with cats, and solve the logarithmic equation in a minute.

4. Run small errands

For example, planning a dinner party or polishing the owner's shoes. The manager wound the cuckoo clock, sorted out letters, paid bills, looked for gardeners and housekeepers with good recommendations. butler if needed had take over the duties of footman, valet and page. In general, the majordomo is the right hand of the owner.

A smart speaker will also cope with part of the work. With its help, it is convenient to plan a schedule - you can add meetings and events to the calendar by voice. The gadget will tell you the time and wake you up in the morning, find the address of the nearest bank or pharmacy on the Internet, will tell you how to bake a goose with antonovka, help you choose a gift for the boss or recommend games and entertainment. Her authority ends where you need to go somewhere or do something with your hands.

Verdict: Butler wins. A smart speaker will do a lot of things, but it will definitely not be able to shine shoes or pick up pizza from a courier.

5. receive guests

At receptions, tasks at the butler too were, but not global. As a rule, he should have met the guests and made sure that the other staff served them well.

But the smart speaker will become the real center of the party, because it can turn on the music. You can adjust the volume, switch tracks or add them to your favorites with your voice. Some devices allow you to play music on several devices at once, if you place a couple of gadgets in the same room or arrange them around the house. It is also easy to connect a ready-made playlist from a smartphone via Bluetooth to the speaker.

Verdict: draw. The butler will not blow up the dance floor with hits at your party. But imagine the dumbfounded faces of friends if they are met at the door by a major-domo in a tailcoat.

6. call you "sir"

Tact and strict adherence to butler etiquette are what distinguish good managers. What is it worth rule knock three times before entering the owner of the house. These assistants addressed the owner of the estate by title, even if he was not knighted, just like that, out of politeness.

Today, in order to feel like a noble homeowner, it is not necessary to move to foggy Albion. Some devices can be taught to recognize the owner's voice and tell them to refer to you as "sir".

Verdict: another draw. The butler simply followed etiquette, and the gadget, in principle, does not care where its owner lives - in a castle or in a rented odnushka.

7. Work in any conditions

Not every family could afford a butler. The manager was the highest paid servant - at the beginning of the 20th century, his annual salary was £60. In terms of rubles, this is a little more than half a million. In addition to a regular salary, the assistant had to be fed, provided with shelter and a uniform.

The column is a one-time investment. She does not need food, a room and a salary, all she needs is an outlet and stable Wi‑Fi. In addition, the column will complain about the owner of another column if he suddenly yells at her or wakes her up at night with a stupid order. Such an assistant does not have a bad mood, he does not get sick, does not feel tired, and therefore you can contact him at any time without the risk of being branded as a tyrant and a petty tyrant.

Verdict: an unconditional victory for the column. An assistant who never takes sick leave, asks for a raise, or joins a union - isn't that a dream?