The New York Times had a story about Jenn, Alaska Airlines‘ new web-based virtual assistant. I’d compare her to Julie, though Jenn responds vocally only to typed questions. I had a girlfriend like that.

She was developed using Next IT’s ActiveAgent technology - the same technology used for the Army’s Sgt. Star (a name like that makes me think he should be off fighting Cobra Commander, not virtually attending).

The Jenn avatar isn’t annoying and is completely professional. If you curse at her, she says she doesn’t respond to such language and suggests a change in subject.

I’m just not sure if I see the point. I like that Jenn routes you to relevant areas on the company website depending on your question. She’s very helpful (and there I go, referring to her as if she’s a real person) if you want to know about baggage weight limits or about the history of Alaska Airlines. In other words, she’s almost like an auto attendant.

I’m not sure if I understand the point though. What’s wrong with simply optimizing the search feature? Why all the bells and whistles with the avatar and the voice, etc? The Times mentions that Jenn’s “voice has proper inflections.” In listening to her very carefully, her dialogue certainly sounds like synthesized speech. But how difficult is it to smooth the concatenation with such a limited phrase set?

VUI personas are no longer as faddish as they used to be. But I wonder if Jenn’s interface, which is like an IM client, would benefit from something more unique? People on the computer might have more time to futz around than people on a phone. Jenn’s persona is limited. If you ask her about her parents, for instance, she’ll say it’s the people that created her. “I hope they aren’t waiting for Father’s and Mother’s Day presents!” she’ll blurt in a moment of comedic inspiration. The Times writes that an earlier version of Jenn actually answered questions about Alaska Airlines plane crashes - a function that since has been replaced with a more generic “I’m not sure if I understand the question.”

Sure you don’t.