Virtual Assistant stories

TCL expands its UK TV line-up with QLED sets from 43in to 98in, mixing Google TV and Fire TV across models priced from GBP £379.

Emergent's Wingman promises an always-on digital assistant that can juggle email, calendars and chat, while pausing for approval on bigger actions.

Clarence Medical Centre in Wales has launched a multilingual AI assistant to ease admin pressure and streamline patient registration online.

Workday launches Sana, a conversational AI hub to search, act and automate workflows across its HR, finance tools and third-party apps.

RingCentral debuts AIR Pro voice-first AI agents with no-code tools, aiming to move enterprises beyond basic IVR to scalable automation.

Finastra launches OperatorAssist AI to cut banks' payment investigation work, promising 20-30% faster exception handling and reduced costs.

Samsung is adding Perplexity as a system-level agent on upcoming Galaxy flagships, deepening its shift to a multi-assistant AI strategy.

RingCentral integrates OpenAI's GPT-5.2 to power live AI voice calls, launching new assistants to support customers and employees in real time.

Keyloop introduces Kara, an AI assistant in its Customer Hub, to handle routine dealer support queries and free staff for complex cases.

Anthropic will build a Claude-powered AI assistant for GOV.UK, piloting personalised support for job seekers and people returning to work.

Newo.ai and IONOS have launched a plug-and-play AI receptionist, promising SMEs 24/7 call handling, missed lead recovery and quick setup.

Foyer has launched Thine, an iOS “ambient AI” that quietly learns from in-person chats to nudge users on decisions and priorities.

KTC and Consult Red unveil AI Media Station, a Qualcomm-powered proof-of-concept bringing private edge AI control to living room media hubs.

Renfrewshire's AI adviser Millie cuts calls, saves GBP £110,000 and wins awards, as Scotland is hailed a model for council services.

Zoom unveils AI Companion 3.0, adding agentic workflows, a browser hub for work orchestration and standalone access from USD $10 a month.

UTS has developed CASPER AI, an assistant using AI to detect cyber threats and guide users and organisations in secure, compliant responses.

Luware launches Nimbus Companion, an AI orchestration tool within Microsoft Teams that supports human agents during complex customer interactions.

Red Hat launches Developer Lightspeed, an AI-driven toolset boosting app modernisation and coding efficiency within integrated developer workflows.

Red Hat unveils OpenShift Lightspeed, a generative AI assistant to simplify hybrid cloud app management, boosting efficiency across all user levels.

In addition to responding intuitively to voice commands, Alexa+ can actively manage and orchestrate other connected services and devices.