SMART SPEAKERS can be beneficial for older Americans: Just say a command and the device carries it out, whether it’s checking the weather, setting a timer or playing music. Now some speakers—such as Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Nest—claim to be even smarter, using artificial intelligence to create more natural conversations and learn about your wants and needs. This could make them even easier to use. A closer look at how the technology compares:

Non-AI smart speaker: Designed to handle short, specific requests, such as “Alexa, add milk to my shopping list” or “OK Google, remind me to take my medication at 5 p.m.” Reacts to each request separately.

AI-enabled speaker: Keeps track of what has been said and responds more naturally. Brett Bristow, of the YouTube channel Tech With Brett, gives an example: He can set a timer and later say, “Add five more minutes”—no starting over. —Lexi Pandell