In this session we discuss the laws of Shabbat related to speech, which are listed in Shulhan arukh, Orah Haim, 306. It is important to maintain the special character of Shabbat and not engage in conversation which cause worries, distress, and anxiety, or which focus on the activities of the workweek. The Shulhan Arukh also mentions that it is a problem to hire rabbis and cantors for Shabbat services and offers ways to bypass the problem
Finally, we discuss the pressing issues of voice-activation, or more correctly, AI devices such as Echo, Google home and Orbi. The conclusion is that one may engage those devices on Shabbat. However, great care should be taken not to erode the character of Shabbat. For example, maybe ask Alexa to turn off the lights or control your Nest, but not to play music.