That battlefield is to be always listening to you in your home.
QuoteDave Bowman: Hello, HAL. Do you read me, HAL?
HAL: Affirmative, Dave. I read you.
Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Amazon already has Echo, Google, Apple and MS are cooking up something similar. Oh yes and Samsung is listening through your smart TV with more to come.
Some thoughts on how it could change search:
http://searchengineland.com/apple-building-amazon-echo-competitor-will-open-siri-third-party-apps-report-250437
Also a good study about how Echo users use it and where:
http://www.recode.net/2016/6/7/11868200/the-voice-first-user-interface-has-gone-mainstream
Interesting comparison of current Voice Recognition abilities:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/iosapps/cortana-vs-siri-google-now-amazon-echo-alexa-what-is-best-ai-voice-assistant-3511811/
While having something connected to the internet and always on creeps me out, I can see the utility: I often grab a tablet to search for things or ideas I see while watching TV.