What happens to voice commands?

“Okay Google, do I need my raincoat today?” Voice control is becoming more common. Instead of cumbersome typing a command, it is much more comfortable to speak one. A voice assistant then answers or executes the command. Microsoft has Cortana, Apple Siri, Google the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Very handy. But even though the assistants now sound like trusted acquaintances, only a handful of people still use them. Concerns about privacy play a role in this. What actually happens with spoken commands? And are those assistants secretly always listening in?

The voice assistant must be called up on a phone or tablet. Usually by holding down the Home button. Siri then becomes active on an iPhone, and the Google Assistant wakes up on an Android device.

The one-button operation is still a bit cumbersome. Therefore, the voice assistant can also be set to standby. It is then sufficient to switch on the device and activate the assistant with a command. ‘Hee Siri’, on an iPhone/iPad, ‘Hee Google’, on an Android device. Smart speakers, such as the Google Home, work the same way. The assistants are always on, they are always listening.

Listening in does not mean that all conversations are saved. The speech is only saved when the assistant is activated (“Hee Siri/Google”). Just like it happens with your typed searches. If you do not like that a device is constantly listening in, you should not turn on the assistant, and it is better to stay away from smart speakers such as the Google Home.

Today, people quickly speak of smart devices because they understand voice commands or can be controlled wirelessly, for example. The video below shows that smart does not refer to intelligence, in which Siri, Google Home and Alexa have become entangled in an endless conversation by giving each other a command over and over again.