Q&A: Voice Assistant on the Sabbath
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Voice Assistant on the Sabbath
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I’d be glad to understand what the problem is with using a voice assistant like Google Home. What is the issue with telling Google to turn on the air conditioner / turn on a light? After all, there is no physical action of pressing or activating anything.
Answer
I think that the whole distinction between actions and speech is not relevant in our world. Activation by speech today is an action in every respect. You are not telling Google to turn on a light; you are turning on the light through it. Google has no choice, and it is not a halakhic entity on which you can pin various actions. One could perhaps discuss the laws of indirect causation, but even about that I have great doubt when this is the normal way of doing it.