Google Assistant is a virtual assistant that was designed by Google particularly for smart home and mobile devices. It is similar to Alexa, Siri and Cortana that are popular on other devices, as it can also engage in two-way dialog. It was initially released in May 2016 on the Pixel and Pixel XL mobile phones but was later introduced to other smartphones in February of the following year. Users are able to engage Google Assistant with their own voice or by using keyboard input. Google Assistant browses the web, sets alarms and modifies the hardware settings on the smart device. Developers of Google Assistant have announced that the software will also collect visual information and pinpoint objects using the device’s camera as well as support the sending of money and the purchase of products.
