Once regarded as a groundbreaking innovation, the Butler in a Box has long been overshadowed by its more recognizable counterparts like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Despite its ambitious claims of being the world’s first artificial intelligent environmental control system for homes, the Butler in a Box failed to leave a lasting mark in the realm of virtual assistants.
Back in 1983, when it was first introduced, the Mastervoice Butler in a Box promised a range of capabilities such as calling 16 different people, offering home security features, supporting multiple languages, and controlling electronic devices through voice commands. However, with a hefty price tag of $1,495, equivalent to around $4,100 in today’s currency, its adoption was limited.
Fast forward to 2024, and the Butler in a Box has faded into obscurity, with no mention in the histories of modern virtual assistants. The question remains: why did this once-heralded device fall into oblivion?
A recent investigation by Kevin Lieber of Popular Science sought to uncover the reasons behind the Butler in a Box’s decline. Acquiring one of these vintage devices from eBay was the easy part; navigating its complex functionalities proved to be a challenge.
In a humorous and enlightening video, Kevin attempts to decipher the dense 134-page owner’s guide in a quest to simply activate a lamp using voice commands through the Butler in a Box. The outcome of this experiment is both entertaining and insightful, shedding light on the technological limitations of this early virtual assistant.
This video marks the inaugural episode of Popular Science’s revamped YouTube channel, dedicated to exploring forgotten tech relics and speculating on the future of innovation. For more captivating insights into the past and future of technology, be sure to subscribe to the channel for upcoming content.