How ChatGPT Stole Alexa’s Thunder This Christmas
This past Christmas, I had a moment that perfectly illustrated the difference between Alexa, the smart home assistant we’ve grown used to, and ChatGPT, a new kind of AI that feels like magic.
The scene was the kitchen. My mom was cooking the turkey, and we were trying to figure out the timing. The packaging said how many hours it needed to cook, but the question was trickier:
“How much longer does the turkey need to stay in the oven, and when should we start the baked potatoes so everything is ready together?”
Normally, this would involve a pen and paper, or calculator, or maybe just winging it.
Instead, I turned to ChatGPT.
Within seconds, it calculated the remaining cook time based on what we’d told it. Then, it suggested when we should start preparing the potatos. The answer wasn’t just fast and thoughtful, giving us the context we needed to make sure everything would be perfect.
My mom, standing a few feet away, overheard the whole conversation. She didn’t even have to ask me for the answer because ChatGPT spoke it aloud, clear and concise, for both of us.
She look impressed, so I decided to take things a step further.
“Hey, ChatGPT, say hello to my mom.”
It immediately responded: “Of course! Hi there mom, hope you’re having a great day.”
Without hesitation, my mom smiled and responded, “Thank you, it’s nice to meet you!” She said it in such a sweet, conversational way that it almost felt like she was chatting with an actual person. It wasn’t just the information ChatGPT provided but the warmth and simplicity of the interaction that left an impression.
Alexa: Like an Old Friend Who Just Doesn’t Get It
This was the moment I realized how stark the difference is between Alexa and ChatGPT. Alexa has been in both our homes for years, but sometimes, it feels like Alexa has digital dementia — forgetting context, misinterpreting simple questions, and failing to connect the dots like she used to, if she ever did.
If I’d asked Alexa to help to calculate timing around the turkey, it would have likely misunderstood the question or offered a vague answer. And if I’d asked Alexa to say hello to my mom, it would have responded with something robotic and flat:
“Hello.”
That’s it. No warmth. No charm. Just a bare-bones acknowledgment that falls flat.
ChatGPT: The Magic of Human-Like AI
ChatGPT, on the other hand, didn’t just solve the practical problem, it created a moment of connection. Its friendly, natural response was so engaging that my mom responded to it like she would to a person. The charm wasn’t in the complexity of what it said, but in how naturally it said it.
This interaction showed me that AI can do more than just answer questions. It can created a moment of delight and wonder for my mom, that I have been taking for granted. It can make technology feel less like a tool and more like a helpful companion.
Why Are Smart Home Devices Still So Primitive?
This moment left me wondering why haven’t smart home devices like Alexa caught up to this level of conversational intelligence? They’ve been around for years, yet they still feel clunky and transactional.
Imagine if your smart home assistant worked like ChatGPT and was part of a seamlessly connected ecosystem. Your oven, for instance, wouldn’t just set timers, it could detect if it’s running too hot and adjust recipes accordingly. Your kettle could recognize that you’ve left the house and turn itself off. These devices wouldn’t just respond, but they’d proactively communicate and coordinate, creating a home that not only feels intelligent but deeply intuitive and safe.
This isn’t science fiction, it’s very plausible as we introduce devices in our home that have onboard computers of any sort — like your toothbrush, vacuum and air fryer.
The Future of AI Is Connection and Time
That small moment in the kitchen reminded me that AI’s true potential isn’t just in its intelligence, but in its ability to connect with us and improve our lives. Smart devices shouldn’t just answer our questions or execute tasks but they should make our lives better by helping us get things done faster, easier, or with less mental effort.
And ultimately, that’s what these tools should be about, which is giving us the time and space to focus on what truly matters. For me, on that Christmas day, it meant spending quality time with my mom and my family.
That’s the promise of AI done right, and not just smarter homes or more accurate answers, but better lives.
