**3. Virtual assistants - method of interaction**

There are different methods of interaction that VAs are using them. In the following, three of the popular VAs' interaction methods are mentioned.


Various VAs, such as Google Assistant, are available in several ways, including chat on the Google Allo and Google Messages apps and voice on Google Home smart speakers.

VAs use NLP to translate text input from the user or voice input into executable. Furthermore, many people use AI techniques, such as machine learning, to learn continuously. Some of these assistants, such as Google Assistant (which includes Google Lens) and Samsung Bixby, can also perform image processing to distinguish things in the image, allowing users to obtain better results from the images they have clicked.

The awake phrase could be used to activate a voice-activated assistant. These words, for example, are "OK Google," or "Hey Google," "Hey Siri," "Alexa," and "Hey Microsoft" [13]. However, there are increasing legal dangers associated with VAs as they become more popular [14].

#### **4. Virtual assistants: Services**

VAs can help with a wide range of tasks. These include the following [15].


## **5. Virtual assistants - ethics implications**

Generally, the consumers provide free data for the preparation and development of AI algorithms and VAs, which is often ethically disturbing. However, knowing how the applied intelligent models are developed using the consumers' data and information could be more ethically troubling.

Most VAs on the market use Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to train AI algorithms, requiring many labeled data. In order to understand the increase in microwork over the past decade, however, this information must be categorized by a human being in order to understand the increase in microwork over the past decade. However, a human being must categorize this information. People worldwide are paid to perform repetitive and incredibly simple tasks, such as listening and copying down voice input from a virtual assistant for a few cents. Because of the insecurity it creates and the lack of control, microwork has been called out as a problem. The average hourly wage was 1.38 dollars [18], with no healthcare, sick pay, retirement benefits, or minimum salary. This has led to a dispute between VAs and their designers over employment insecurity, and the AIs they propose are still human in a way that would be impossible without millions of human workers micromanaging them [19].

A VA provider's unencrypted access to voice commands raises privacy concerns since they can be shared with third parties and handled unlawfully or unexpectedly [20]. Along with language content, a user's style of expression and voice features can provide information about his or her biometric identification, personality attributes, physical and mental health condition, sex and gender, moods and emotions, and socioeconomic status and geographic origin [21].

#### **6. Comparison of notable virtual assistants**

Different AI products work as VA in the market. Each product has been designed to provide the assistant service for the specific product. There also are different brands of VAs, and behind them are genius companies who annually are investing billion dollars in this field. **Table 1** shows a shortlist of the most used VAs and their capabilities.

#### *Introductory Chapter: Virtual Assistants DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100248*


#### **Table 1.** *Notable virtual assistants.*
