virtual assistant

[ vur-choo-uhl uh-sis-tuhnt ]

noun

1. a person, as a freelance office assistant, who works remotely in an administrative role.
2. dig·it·al as·sis·tant [dij, -i-tl , uh, -, sis, -t, uh, nt],. Digital Technology. a device or piece of software that can perform basic tasks and answer some questions in response to spoken natural language, often following a command or prompt.

Word History and Origins

Origin of virtual assistant¹

First recorded in 2000–05 virtual assistant fordef 1, and in 2010–15 virtual assistant fordef 2

Example Sentences

The new features include notification summaries, tools to assist users in writing messages, and a glowing new interface for virtual assistant Siri.

From BBC

Meanwhile OpenAI boss Sam Altman appeared to confirm comparisons drawn between a flirty, new voice unveiled for ChatGPT and a virtual assistant played by Scarlett Johansson in the 2013 film Her in a post on X in May.

From BBC

This was seemingly in reference to the 2013 movie in which a man falls in love with his AI virtual assistant.

From BBC

“We see AI primarily as a ‘virtual assistant’ for humans,” says Scott Petty, Vodafone’s chief technology officer.

From BBC

Their virtual assistant, which they released in 2011, has just languished ever since then.

From New York Times