- Xiao AI is Xiaomi's voice assistant, integrated into its ecosystem since 2012.
- Super XiaoAI with HyperOS 2 has improved its artificial intelligence capabilities.
- Despite its potential, Xiao AI only understands Chinese, limiting its use outside of China.
- If Xiaomi were to expand its language support, Xiao AI could compete with Google Assistant.
Xiaomi has developed its own voice assistant called Xiao AI, designed to integrate deeply with your device ecosystem. While its use is primarily limited to the Chinese market, its ability to control smart devices and its integration with HyperOS make it a tool with many possibilities.
If you'd like to learn more about Xiao AI, what features it offers, and when it'll be available in your country (i.e., on your phone), we encourage you to continue reading this article.
What is Xiao AI?
Xiao AI is a voice assistant developed by Xiaomi and first launched in 2012 (albeit with much more limited features than the current ones). Its aim is to offer users of the brand an alternative to Google Assistant, Alexa or Siri, but with a much deeper integration within the Xiaomi ecosystem.
The assistant with the current features was first incorporated in the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S, in 2018. Since then, has been included in numerous devices of the brand, such as smartphones, tablets, and home automation products from the Mijia line, including refrigerators, smart lights, televisions, and smart speakers. It also features the Chinese manufacturer's popular electric car, the Xiaomi SU7.
Main features of Xiao AI
This assistant offers multiple functionalities that make it stand out within the Xiaomi ecosystem:
- Home automation: Makes it easy to control lights, appliances, and other connected devices.
- Smart device control: Allows you to manage Xiaomi and Mijia products with voice commands.
- Integration with HyperOS: With HyperOS 2, Xiao AI has evolved to Super XiaoAI, improving their intelligence and capabilities.*
- Query processing: Answer questions, set reminders, and offer personalized support.
- Speech recognition: It is currently limited to the Chinese language, which restricts its use outside of China.
(*) Super XiaoAI can provide even more contextualized responses and handle more natural user interaction. This update is also expected to make better use of the tools Generative AI, allowing for a more fluid and adaptable experience.
The role of Xiao AI in the Xiaomi ecosystem
One of the great advantages of Xiao AI is its deep integration with Xiaomi devicesUnlike other assistants like Siri or Google Assistant, Xiao AI is specifically designed to interact with all of the brand's products, facilitating a unified experience.
For example, if you have a Xiaomi smart home, you can turn on the lights, adjust the air conditioning temperature, control security cameras, and operate smart speakers using voice commands, all without leaving the Xiaomi ecosystem.
In addition, synergy with Chinese applications such as WeChat allows users to perform tasks such as sending messages or checking notifications instantly.
When will Xiao AI arrive in the West?
Despite its impressive features, Xiao AI is still not available in the West due to a Key limitation: only understands ChineseThis makes its adoption outside of China virtually impossible for users who don't master the language.
For now, Google Assistant (now called Gemini Live on some devices) is the default assistant on Xiaomi phones sold outside of China, reinforcing Western users' reliance on this solution instead of Xiaomi's native assistant.
Xiaomi has not yet given any concrete signals about the internationalization of Xiao AI, but the evolution towards Super XiaoAI suggests the company is betting heavily on its own AI solution. If Xiao AI receives support for other languages in the future, Xiaomi is likely to roll it out to more markets. This would reduce its users' dependence on Google Assistant and allow for a greater control of the Xiaomi ecosystem outside of China.
For now, those who want to try it on Xiaomi devices in the West will have to resort to tutorials and alternative methods to install it, although its usefulness will still be limited due to the language barrier.
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