AI Assistants: Convenient, But at What Privacy Cost?

Article Written By: Aahana Jain and Risha Pasula

AI assistants like Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Google Assistant have become part of daily life for both teens and adults, helping with tasks as simple as setting an alarm or as complex as answering detailed questions instantly. According to The Conversation, artificial intelligence has become deeply embedded into everyday devices as even electric toothbrushes and razors are now "AI-powered,” with many people using some kind of AI system every single day. While these assistants make life more convenient, they also raise an important question that most users rarely stop to ask: what exactly happens to everything we say to them?

What Are AI Assistants?

AI assistants use artificial intelligence to listen, respond, and complete tasks based on spoken or typed requests. Unlike AI chatbots, which are primarily used for conversation, AI assistants are built into everyday devices and are designed to actively help users manage daily life. Common AI assistants include:

• Amazon Alexa is a voice assistant built into smart speakers and devices that can play music, answer questions, control smart home devices, and set reminders

• Apple Siri is a voice assistant built into iPhones and other Apple devices used for messaging, searching the web, and completing tasks without having to do anything manually 

• Google Assistant is a voice assistant available on Android phones and Google smart home devices, often used for searches, directions, and scheduling

• AI browser assistants are newer tools that summarize webpages, answer questions, and complete tasks directly inside a web browser

  
  

How They Work

AI assistants only work by collecting information. According to PrivacyGlobal, every time someone interacts with an AI system, whether by asking a question, typing a prompt, or making a request, they are providing data that helps the system function, and in many cases, users do not realize how much information they are actually sharing. This can include voice recordings, search history, device information, and even details about a user's daily routines and preferences.

What makes this especially concerning is that some AI assistants collect more than they publicly claim. A study that tested ten popular AI browser assistants found that one assistant, Harpa, stated on its own website that it does not collect or sell user data; however, researchers observed it collecting complete health records, academic data, and personal messages during testing. This shows that even when a company claims to protect user privacy, the actual data collection happening behind the scenes can look very different.

How It Can Be Dangerous

AI assistants like Alexa can be dangerous because they collect a large amount of personal information without the users always knowing. When someone speaks to Alexa, the recording is sent to Amazon’s cloud to be processed. Alexa can also use information like voice recordings, requests, and account information to personalize the user’s experience. 

A bigger concern is that users may not realize how long their information is stored or who can access it. In 2023, the FTC and the Department of Justice accused Amazon of keeping children’s Alexa voice recordings for years, even after parents asked for them to be deleted. The FTC also said that Amazon kept some transcripts and gave thousands of employees access to Alexa voice recordings. This demonstrates that the information we share with our voices can become a serious privacy issue, especially when people are unsure of who can access it and what exactly is being stored. 

Takeaways

The biggest takeaway is that people should be more careful about what they say to AI assistants. Devices like Alexa are useful when it comes to playing music, answering questions, setting alarms, or checking the time, but they also collect information about what users say and do. The 2023 FTC and Department of Justice case against Amazon shows that users cannot always assume their information will immediately be deleted just because they ask for it to be, since Amazon reportedly kept some children's voice recordings even after parents requested they be deleted. While AI assistants can definitely make everyday life easier, it is crucial that teens and adults today understand how they collect information, hopefully helping them create more deliberate decisions about what to share with them. 

Works Cited

Kolluri, Aditya, et al. "Big Help or Big Brother? Auditing Tracking, Profiling, and Personalization in Generative AI Assistants." arXiv, 20 Mar. 2025, arxiv.org/pdf/2503.16586.

"AI Tools Collect and Store Data About You From All Your Devices — Here's How to Be Aware of What You're Revealing." The Conversation, 16 June 2026, theconversation.com/ai-tools-collect-and-store-data-about-you-from-all-your-devices-heres-how-to-be-aware-of-what-youre-revealing-251693.

"AI Privacy Risks: How AI Uses Personal Data." PrivacyGlobal, 10 Mar. 2026, www.privacyglobal.org/blog/ai-and-privacy-how-ai-uses-personal-data.

Amazon. “Alexa and Alexa Device FAQs.” Amazon, 2026, https://digprjsurvey.amazon.com/csad/help/node/201602230. 

Consumer Reports. “Alexa, What Do You Know About Me?” Consumer Reports, 2019, https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/alexa-what-do-you-know-about-me-a1181432701/. 

Federal Trade Commission. “FTC and DOJ Charge Amazon with Violating Children’s Privacy Law by Keeping Kids’ Alexa Voice Recordings Forever.” Federal Trade Commission, 31 May 2023, https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/05/ftc-doj-charge-amazon-violating-childrens-privacy-law-keeping-kids-alexa-voice-recordings-forever. 

National Institute of Standards and Technology. “Cybersecurity, Privacy, and AI.” NIST, 2026, https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/cybersecurity-privacy-and-ai.