Forms of representation of Virtual Assistants: tensions between corporate discourse and specialized journalism

This article analyzes the media representations of virtual assistants (Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant) in the context of the platformization of the domestic space. Based on the concept of "platformized domestication" and the model of the Culture Circuit (representation, identity, production, consumption, regulation), the research emphasizes the dimension of representation, investigating how specialized journalistic discourse collaborates in the formation of public opinion. The qualitative analysis of 14 reports (2017–2022) reveals that these devices are often presented as voice interfaces capable of simulating symbolic exchanges mediated by natural language, even though they are shrouded in ambivalences related to surveillance, data collection, and algorithmic action. It is concluded that the assistants operate as cultural mediators, with effects on communicational and affective practices, on the processes of subjectivation and on the resignification of the connected domestic experience.