It is a scary thought that this virtual voice can think for you – will it stop us using our own brains and will we lose the ability to write things down or type? They are certainly clever, helping you to book train tickets, give you the latest weather news or even tell you a joke. But are they really your new best friend?

One thing we can't do yet is to make chit-chat or small talk with it. We have to alter the way we speak. As Tom Hewitson says "We will develop our own kind of vernacular for speaking with machines that will be subtly different from how we speak to other people… It can be much more brusque and to the point."

But there's no doubt this technology will soon be commonplace in our lives. This year Google Duplex was revealed, described by the company as artificial intelligence "for accomplishing real-world tasks over the phone". It's a type of chatbot that will allow you to, for example, chat to your hairdresser about when they can fit you in for a cut. Other companies are working on similar things. But before they perfect this new technology, don't forget who your real friends are!

词汇表 virtual assistant 虚拟助手

bot（能自动执行搜索任务的）网上机器人程序

software 软件

smart speaker 智能扬声器

interact 交流，互动

conversation designer 对话设计师

agent (=something that causes change) 作用剂，动因

【Talking to technology 能与你聊天的“虚拟助手”】相关文章：

★ Different types of ‘tissue’ 不同种类的“纸巾”

★ To lie through your teeth 睁眼说瞎话

★ 语法：情态动词的过去式

★ Shopping for ‘shoes’ 不同种类的“鞋”

★ Volcanic power and a virtual wife 冰岛火山能源、日本公司研发“虚拟妻子”

★ Getting something for nothing 天下没有免费的午餐

★ Counting elephants, Australian Elvis 空中数大象，澳大利亚“猫王节”

★ Prize for cracking brain's 'feel good' system 三位科学家因破解大脑“奖赏系统”获奖

★ Smoking causes DNA changes in our body 吸烟会导致人体内基因变异

★ Fragile and brittle 表示“脆弱”的形容词