• Not "speakable links"
• Understands verbal queries
• Pair speech recognition and natural language understanding technologies

• Not "speakable links"
  • Speakable links can provide a solution for hands busy environments and for the disabled.
  • But this only replaces one modality with another. Underlying interface paradigm remains the same.
  • Limited menu of choices at each stage of interaction
• Understands verbal queries
  • Expands system capabilities with new interface paradigm
  • Allows direct access to information without having to navigate complex web spaces. E.g. "Will it be sunny in central California?"
  • Allows information to be gathered from multiple sources and summarized to satisfy user request
  • Supports dialogue with user
• Pair speech recognition and NL understanding to accomplish this
• Involved with conversational systems research since 1989
• Although much progress, much more work needs to be done. Can only handle limited domains today and not universal information access.