Virtual assistant facts for kids
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An intelligent virtual assistant is a computer program that can help you with tasks and answer your questions. Think of it like having a helpful robot inside your phone or smart speaker!
These assistants can understand what you say or type. They often talk back to you using a computer-generated voice. You can ask them questions, tell them to play music, set alarms, or even control smart devices in your home, all just by using your voice. Many people use virtual assistants on their smartphones, computers, and smart speakers. Popular ones include Apple's Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.
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How Virtual Assistants Work
Virtual assistants can understand you in a few ways:
- Text: You can type messages to them, like in a chat app or through email.
- Voice: You can speak to them, like when you say "Hey Siri" to your iPhone or "Alexa" to an Amazon Echo device.
- Images: Some assistants, like Samsung Bixby, can even understand things from pictures you take or upload.
Many virtual assistants can be used in different ways. For example, you can chat with Google Assistant using text on your phone, or talk to it through a Google Home smart speaker.
These smart programs use something called natural language processing (NLP). This helps them understand human language, whether you speak it or type it. They also use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. This means they are designed to learn and get better at helping you over time.
Some assistants, like Google Assistant (with Google Lens) and Samsung Bixby, can even look at images. They can recognize objects in a picture to give you better information or results.
To get a virtual assistant's attention using your voice, you usually say a special "wake word." These are phrases like "Hey Siri," "OK Google," "Alexa," or "Hey Microsoft."
Where You Can Find Virtual Assistants
Virtual assistants are built into many different devices and platforms:
- Smart Speakers: Devices like Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod have assistants built right in.
- Phones and Computers: They are often part of your phone's operating system, like Apple's Siri on iOS devices or Cortana on Microsoft Windows computers. Some phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S8, have their own assistant, Bixby, separate from the phone's main system.
- Messaging Apps: You might find them in apps like Facebook Messenger, where they can help you with specific tasks.
- Other Places: Virtual assistants are also showing up in cars, home appliances, and even wearable technology like smartwatches. Some companies use them in their own mobile apps, like for ordering pizza!
What Virtual Assistants Can Do For You
Virtual assistants can help with many different things:
- Get Information: They can tell you the weather, answer questions (like facts from Wikipedia), set alarms, or help you make to-do lists and shopping lists.
- Play Media: You can ask them to play music from services like Spotify, listen to radio stations, or play audiobooks.
- Control Entertainment: They can play videos, TV shows, or movies on your television from streaming services like Netflix.
- Help with Customer Service: Sometimes, virtual assistants can help you with questions you might have for a company, like an airline or a bank. They can often answer common questions, which helps human customer service agents focus on more complex issues.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Asistente virtual para niños
