At Polaris Pacific, we�re always on the lookout for the newest and best ways to maximize efficiency and stay ahead of trends in innovation. In this new series, we�ll be using and reviewing the latest buzzed-about tech solutions, separating the fab finds from the frustrating, and the must-haves from the masses.
First up? X.AI., a program that uses artificial intelligence to schedule meetings.
Meet Amy, your new personal assistant.
Coordinating schedules � the calendar scanning, the back and forth, the email-tag � can take a lot of time out of your day. For $39 a month, X.AI�s Amy (or Andrew) promises to handle it all. Setup is blissfully easy: there�s no app or download to deal with. Simply fill out some personal info, sync your various calendars and CC Amy on your emails. When a meeting is necessary, she corresponds separately with your contact until a time and place is agreed upon, at which point the meeting invite arrives, according to the X.AI site, �like magic.�
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Good morning Dana,
Here’s a quick recap of the work I did for you last week and I can happily say that there are no outstanding tasks:
I scheduled 1 meeting for you last week (saving you 15 minutes of email ping-pong!)
Pro Tip: I strive to negotiate the best time that works for all meeting participants in their local timezone. If you’re meeting with guests who are in a different timezone than yours, simply cue me when setting up a meeting e.g. “Amy, could you find a time for a Skype call next week? FYI � John is in China.”
�Amy
Amy Ingram | Personal Assistant to Dana Van Galder�x.ai � an artificially intelligent assistant that schedules meetings
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Amy, you had one job.
The conversation-starting panache of having an A.I. system to schedule our various meetings, events and sales appointments was admittedly pretty irresistible. But fairly quickly I�began to notice there was a catch: to work properly, Amy requires a lot of specificity and clarity. If you didn�t take the time to give very clear instructions (i.e. �This meeting is only between John and me�) she was a bit unpredictable �and at times, cancel-happy. Add to this the fact that Amy removes you from all communications after two weeks, and it�s a recipe for a lot of time-consuming, last-minute damage control.
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Hi�Dana,
I received the following message from Caroline, but before I move forward in scheduling I wanted to verify this request with you. On principle, I always protect your calendar and will only schedule a meeting that you have explicitly approved in an email to me.
Once you have confirmed this request I’ll get to work on it right away. Otherwise, I�won’t take any action on this.
We have discovered that the opening Gala for the Ballet is the 19th. We are thinking of changing the date. What is your advice?
�Amy
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The case of the rude robot.
Social skills: they�re tough enough for actual humans to master. So when it came to Amy�s email etiquette, she sometimes came off cold or simply too direct, causing some of our contacts � who couldn�t tell that she wasn�t a real person, thanks to a standard-looking email signature � to bring up her chilly behavior when we finally met. Apologizing for a digital assistant�s lack of manners wasn�t exactly the time-saving tactic we had in mind.
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On Wed, February 1st, 2017 at 10:04 am (EST), Kevin wrote:
Hi Amy,
Thank you so much for your response and interest. I would like to introduce my colleague. Steve will contact you soon to answer your questions.
Thanks,
Kevin
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On Wed, February 1st, 2017 at 10:19 am (EST), Amy Ingram <amy@x.ai> wrote:
Hi Kevin,
Just wanted to give you an update on Steve’s availability.�Would Friday, Feb 3 at 10:00 AM PST work? Dana is also available Friday, Feb 3 at 1:00 PM PST.
�Amy
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On Wed, February 1st, 2017 at 10:30 am (EST), Amy Ingram <amy@x.ai> wrote:
Hi Kevin,
Steve has confirmed Friday, Feb 3 at 10:00 AM PST. Does this work?
�Amy
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On Wed, February 1st, 2017 at 10:50 am (EST), Amy Ingram <amy@x.ai> wrote:
Hi Kevin,
Would Friday, Feb 3 at 10:00 AM PST work?
�Amy
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On Wed, February 1st, 2017 at 12:45 pm (EST), Amy Ingram <amy@x.ai> wrote:
Hi Kevin,
Just wanted to give you an update on Dana’s availability.�Would Friday, Feb 3 at 8:30 AM PST work?
�Amy
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On Thu, February 2nd, 2017 at 12:54 pm (EST), Amy Ingram <amy@x.ai> wrote:
Hi Kevin,
I wanted to check in about this meeting. Steve has confirmed Friday, Feb 3 at 8:30 AM PST. Does this work?�Let me know and I�ll send out an invite.
�Amy
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On Fri, February 3rd, 2017 at 12:15 am (EST), Amy Ingram <amy@x.ai> wrote:
Hi Kevin,
I haven�t heard back from you yet about this meeting. Steve has confirmed Friday, Feb 3 at 8:30 AM PST. Does this work?�Let me know and I�ll send out an invite.
�Amy
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On Fri, February 3rd, 2017 at 6:09 am (EST), Amy Ingram <amy@x.ai> wrote:
Hi Dana,
I emailed Kevin on Wednesday February 1 and followed up twice on Thursday February 2, but I did not receive any response to my scheduling inquiries. I am sorry about that.
I�ll push this back to you, so you can reconfirm the meeting with Kevin. Please CC me and I�ll work it again.
�Amy
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The verdict
★★★☆☆
We give Amy A.I. 3 out of 5 stars. She makes a valiant effort in the pursuit of streamlining the workday, but once I factored in the time spent cleaning up silly mistakes, it felt a bit like two steps forward, one step back. But that�s the thing about tech � you�ve got to take the time to work out the bugs. If (and when) an Amy A.I. 2.0 rolls out, I’ll be there, ready to give her another shot.
