A virtual assistant is an application that understands voice commands and performs tasks for a user. Virtual assistants are available on most smartphones and tablets, traditional computers, and even standalone devices such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home.
What is a virtual assistant?
They combine specialized computer chips, microphones and software that listen for specific spoken commands from you and can respond in a voice of your choosing.
There are five main virtual assistants on the market (there are more, but they are less popular):
Virtual assistants like these can do everything from answer questions, tell jokes, play music, and control items in your home like lights, thermostats, door locks, and smart home devices. They can respond to many voice commands, send text messages, make phone calls, and set reminders. Anything you do on your phone, you can probably ask your virtual assistant to do for you.
