Skip to main content

LG and Microsoft Unveil Smart Home Assistant That Lets You Interrupt

LG and Microsoft's New Voice Assistant: Finally, You Can Interrupt Without Guilt

Tired of waiting for your smart speaker to finish its spiel before you can ask something else? LG and Microsoft feel your pain. At the Microsoft Industry Summit in Seoul's Gangnam District, LG pulled back the curtain on a new AI voice assistant for smart homes. It's built in collaboration with Microsoft and will live inside LG's ThinQ ON hub. The pitch: conversations that flow like you're talking to a person, not a robot.

Say Goodbye to Awkward Pauses

At the heart of this system is Speech to Speech intelligent agent technology, paired with Microsoft's Voice Live capabilities. Unlike the rigid question-and-answer dance we're used to—where you have to wait for the assistant to finish before you can speak—this new assistant lets you interrupt. Yep, just like you would with a friend. Bring up a new topic mid-sentence, and the system will stop its previous response, catch your new intent, and pivot smoothly. It's a small change that could make a big difference in how natural these interactions feel.

Coming This Year, and Not Just to Living Rooms

LG says the Voice Live-equipped ThinQ ON will launch within this year. Existing ThinQ ON users will get the upgrade via a software update. But LG isn't stopping at your living room. Hotels, offices, and retail stores are also on the radar. With smart speaker growth slowing and companies fighting over who can deliver the most "actually usable" conversation experience, LG's bet on Microsoft's model capabilities is a clear play for both home and commercial markets.

Key Points

  • LG and Microsoft have developed a smart home voice assistant that supports mid-conversation interruptions.
  • The assistant uses Speech to Speech technology and Microsoft's Voice Live, enabling more natural, human-like interactions.
  • It will debut on LG's ThinQ ON hub later this year, with existing devices getting an update.
  • LG is also targeting commercial spaces like hotels, offices, and retail stores.
  • The move aims to secure a competitive edge in the smart home and commercial voice assistant markets.