7 WELCOME TO THE AI-ENHANCED HOME

Do you use an iPhone equipped with Siri? Do you have an Amazon Echo smart speaker or other Alexa-enabled device in your home? Or maybe the little puck that responds to “Okay, Google” prompts? Several voice-activated assistants (also called voice assistants) emerged in the early 2010s and consumers snapped them up, enticed by the promise of hands-free computing and the ability to streamline daily life. Suddenly, fussing with buttons and screens felt very retro, a relic of the twentieth century—at least, that's what the ads suggested. The voice assistants had arrived, ready to lighten our loads by automating various tasks. All we had to do was ask.