Journey of Yasmina, Human-Like AI Assistant: Exclusive Conversation with Samer Mohamad

1. Could you provide a brief overview of Yasmina and its primary purpose as an AI-powered smart assistant?

We built Yasmina as a human-like, culturally savvy smart assistant that goes beyond basic tasks like setting reminders, playing music, or sharing useful information. In addition to all of the above, Yasmina works as a smart home centre and can be integrated into other apps and smart home devices, making them friendlier and easier to use, ultimately creating new user experiences.

However, what really sets Yasmina apart is the assistant’s unique ability to engage in authentic, consistent, and enjoyable conversations that feel remarkably natural and relatable. Yasmina recognizes whether the user is male or female, effortlessly understands major Arabic dialects and English, speaks Khaleeji fluently, knows local jokes, and understands local culture.

2. Who is your target audience and how do you plan to introduce them to Yasmina?

At the moment, we are focusing on the UAE and Saudi Arabia, since they are the largest markets in the region. We see a population that is tech-savvy, well-travelled, and exposed to world-class opportunities, cities, infrastructure, and lifestyles. The governments of these countries actively support sustainable smart cities and are working towards realizing creative, long-term strategies for sustainable living, effective consumption of power and resources, and minimization of carbon footprints.

In this environment, it’s easier for people to make smarter choices, such as buying and living in smart homes, using smart appliances, and utilizing tech in their everyday lives.

We see these factors as a massive opportunity to engage with the community, elevate the smart assistant experience, and enhance Yasmina to become an integral part of people’s lives.

3. How long do you plan to keep the smart assistant in test mode? How did you choose the target audience for the test? What kind of user feedback have you received so far?

We launched the beta test after we announced Yasmina at GITEX in October 2023.  Hundreds of people who visited our exhibit at the tech show and saw live demonstrations of the assistant were positively impressed with Yasmina.

Right now, Saudi residents are welcome to enroll in the beta testing and be among the first to interact with Yasmina. We invite people of various backgrounds and nationalities to be a part of our community and help us further improve the assistant to make sure it truly meets the needs of the region’s diverse population. 

The feedback thus far has been incredibly positive, both in the UAE and the KSA. We are planning to finish the beta testing by March.

4. What specific features does Yasmina offer to demonstrate its language skills, and how does it differ from other smart assistants?

We put a lot of effort into creating Yasmina’s Khaleeji personality and making the assistant friendly and fun. The first users who tested Yasmina were pleased with the interaction and said it felt like talking to a real human. 

Yasmina understands major Arabic dialects and English and responds back in English or Khaleeji, switching between languages seamlessly. On top of that, Yasmina recognizes whether the user is male or female and puts on only age-appropriate content when interacting with children. 

Yasmina is built to fit perfectly in any GCC home and meets the unique needs of the region’s population. As I have already mentioned, the assistant can inform users of prayer times or play Adhan. 

5. What is the secret behind Yasmina’s ability to engage in natural-sounding conversations? What kind of technology is employed to enhance the user experience?

Yasmina’s technological foundation is made up of natural language understanding, speech recognition, and speech synthesis. The assistant’s ability to engage in a human-like conversation is based on a proprietary large language model that was thoroughly fine-tuned with the help of hundreds of content professionals who edited and perfected Yasmina’s dialogues.

To build the speech recognition component of Yasmina, we worked with the voices of hundreds of people from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and more. This wide variety of voices, spanning various ages and genders, empowered Yasmina to recognize diverse speech patterns, intonations, and dialects.

 6. Are there any potential use cases where Yasmina could prove particularly beneficial, both in a personal and a professional context?

Yasmina can set an alarm, put on music, and tell you what the weather is like, but there is more beyond that. The assistant also functions as a smart home centre that remembers the homeowner’s preferences, adjusts the room temperature, turns on the vacuum, and even finds new recipes to cook.

Still, nothing compares to Yasmina’s ability to hold a human-like conversation in GCC Arabic and English while helping users with their daily chores. The assistant can even try to cheer you up with a joke or read a bedtime story to your children.

7. What are your plans for Yasmina’s development? Are there any upcoming features or enhancements for users to look forward to?

Yasmina is evolving and learning every day, and we are committed to developing the assistant’s functionality and intelligence both through AI training and software development. We are putting together a team that will consistently work on the quality of everyday scenarios (things like fact-checking, chatting, listening, setting reminders, and more), as well as introduce new ones based on user feedback and the latest advancements in AI technology.

8. How long have you been with Yango, and are there any insights you would like to share with our readers?

I have been with Yango for almost a year now and I am proud to be part of a project that has the potential to improve the quality of people’s lives locally. I find it rewarding to be able to work with a smart assistant that understands the local culture, as well as the people and their sense of humour, and knows what is acceptable and what is not. While cutting-edge technology is more or less everywhere, this mix of advanced tech, cultural awareness, and local relevance is truly unique.