About two years ago, I was scouring the web for newer , innovative and cool stuff as I tend to do. I stumbled across a new app that called itself a “Personal Assistant App”, but with a very different spin on what that meant and how it was to be implemented. It was the founders’ overarching goal that really drew me in to want to explore it further. (More on that later)

It was simply called “Hal”.

It took me a minute to connect the dots regarding the novelty of the name, but it all came into focus after reading a bit about it on their website. For those who may not know why the name “Hal” in conjunction with the idea of a personal assistant app is so clever, it’s because it is both an homage and reference to the supercomputer in the legendary 1968 film by Stanley Kubrick entitled “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Hal, as he was affectionately called, was short for HAL-9000, a sentient computer that was both an interesting assistant and a central character in the movie.

It all made sense that this app would be named Hal given the backstory, but what came next was really the mindblower: instead of using actual artificial intelligence, bots or some other purely mechanical means, this app was actually employing humans to access information in a host of specialties in order to assist the user base! In other words, the app actually provides the unique blend of the human touch and the power of the internet to become the user’s personal assistant. As sentient as HAL-9000 was, this is one feat that was definitely beyond his grasp.

What was so brilliant about this is that the Hal app finally bridged the gap that so many of us who use (and appreciate) tools like Siri, Alexa or the Google Assistant kept missing: an interaction that could truly ensure that the answer you seek is one that is in line with the request. For example, when I ask Alexa to search for something, she usually does come back with a reply — but often, the reply means I have to do a whole lot more heavy lifting to finally get to the actual answer. The challenge that virtually all of us have with our wonderful interconnected gadgets is that sometimes they just don’t understand the nature of the request.

What’s even more exasperating is that sometimes we find ourselves rephrasing the request in the hopes that Siri, Alexa or the Google Assistant will interpret it the way another human would. Alas, two or three rephrased questions later, we either give up or save it for a lookup when we have the time to do so. So as you can see based on the examples, Hal was born out of that very real frustration.

What makes Hal so unique is that, through the app itself, users are connected to an actual human being who researches the request and provides the user an opportunity to easily follow up or further clarify the request quickly and intuitively. Since users are essentially communicating their requests via text through an encrypted app, they can ask compound questions and get an answer without endlessly rephrasing something. The one glaringly obvious weakness with Siri, Alexa and the Google Assistant (which is ongoing) is that AI alone still does not work as well as it is intended to and often frustrates users with the results it provides. And even now, AI also falls short when users have more complex requests that AI cannot satisfy without exhaustive follow up.

Here’s a great example of why Hal beats the AI “assistants”: I asked Siri, “What should I name my new restaurant?” Siri replied: Interesting question. (Strike one!). I asked my Google Assistant, “What should I name my new restaurant?” The Google Assistant replied, “Sorry, I’m not sure how to help you with that.” (Strike two!). I asked Alexa, “What should I name my new restaurant?” Alexa responded with “I don’t know that, but I’m always learning.” (Strike three!)

Conversely, when you open the Hal app and ask that question, another human being will ask you follow up questions to help co-create a name for your new restaurant. Your ‘Hal’ may ask “Do you want it to be a fun name, a chic name, a name that people associate with where you are located or a name that speaks to something about the cuisine itself?” At this point, it becomes clear that you have an intuitive process at work and not an AI that is stumped for an answer. However, that is one of many examples. Hals have a real talent for uncovering the information you ask for on a variety of topics.

Obviously, certain questions posed to Hal can help provide users a more singular response whereas AI can only present lots of options — and that is where most tech-driven “assistants” still struggle. They do a lot well, but there’s still gaps that need to be addressed — and in most cases, it’s the ‘human factor’ that can fill those gaps.

Since Hal is an interaction with another human, an actual dialog of sorts can take place right over the app so users feel heard and understood almost immediately. Just as importantly, it’s no secret that humanly-curated information will tend to be much more actionable because another human being is responding in real time and providing it in a way that can be both easily understood and useful. The fact that I have access to a dedicated individual who is scouring limitless resources to get me anything from a great steak restaurant recommendation in an unfamiliar city to helping me come up with a name for my new restaurant is really rewarding.

Needless to say, when I fully understood what Hal was about, I jumped at the chance to actually “become a Hal”. I applied right away and I was amazed that within 24 hours, I received an email from one of the founders regarding my interview for the role of Hal. I was genuinely excited by an opportunity where I could join the team who developed this app to help others in their own quest for information, recommendations, research or other similar requests. And best of all, because the app is a subscription service after a free trial is provided, a portion of the subscription fees are allocated to pay the “Hals” on staff for their time and services to the end users. But the opportunity was even better when I learned about the culture the app was yearning to create.

As I shared earlier, it was the founders’ overarching goal that made working for the Hal team so attractive. What he shared was that the real goal is ultimately to create this proactive, helpful ecosystem where users with a real appreciation for the timely assistance they got would come to rely on Hal for all kinds of resources — and in turn, Hals would be paid a decent fee for their time as a result of their dedication to an amazing experience for the user. Moreover, he was clear that the vetting process for Hals would be extremely thorough so that as Hal opened up in various cities, the people in those cities could truly provide insightful recommendations for travelers to those cities as an added bonus. In other words, Hal provides the user a choice of cities that are most useful to the user in the event that they require a more localized set of recommendations. Traveling to Toronto in a couple of months? Then click on Toronto and all the available ‘Hals’ in and around that area can provide specialized information on things to do, local favorites, hottest night spots, best new restaurants, independent coffee houses, where to get the best deals on clothing, etc. because they live in or near the Toronto area and can provide a first hand insight into one or all of those.

Part of the “secret sauce” that Hal is brewing is this: it not only combines the cordiality and interaction with an actual human being with the power of the Internet to answer requests, all within an encrypted app that values privacy over ad revenue, but it enhances those efforts by providing Hals sourced from certain larger cities for assistance with travel related requests to those cities offered within the app.

Even better, the user can use their audio function within the app instead of texting to make the requests via voice — and those voice files are heard by your ‘Hal’ so that they can respond to you via text with the answer. The advantage is that if it’s a long question or one that contains lots of detail, the user does NOT have to text all of that info — they can simply speak it, as they would with the devices they are used to talking to already. The key difference is that a knowledgeable human is on the other end of that request and that human’s sole goal is to exceed their expectations. Furthermore, the app is built with high level encryption to ensure that the user never exposes any personal information in order to ensure their privacy; and that guarantee works both ways, because no matter which human you get as your personal assistant, they are all called ‘Hal’ (no actual names of the assistants are ever provided) to ensure their privacy as well.

When I discovered how sincere the effort was to provide a fully anonymized, encrypted app that allows users from everywhere to connect with people like me who love to research and assist others in their quest for new info, it really assured me that Hal was something special. Whether it’s helping someone who sends an audio message through the app because they want to find out more regarding sources for a topic they are writing a college term paper about …or simply helping someone find a how-to video to learn more about their new Android phone, Hal has the answers.

The concept here is really the driver: Hal combines the best of what humans offer other humans while leveraging the power of the internet and specialized information in key cities to deliver on its promise — people helping people, delivered with the magic of tech. Most of all, when you see words like “Thank you! I don’t have enough time in my day to find this info and I’m actually not even sure where I’d start. This is so helpful!”, you can’t help but feel great about being a Hal.

Now that you know all about my journey on becoming a Hal, feel free to start a free trial by downloading “Hal — Personal Assistant” on the Apple App Store.

MAVRick