Google contractors regularly listen to, and review some recordings of, what people say to artificial-intelligence system Google Assistant, via their phones or through smart speakers such as the Google Home.

The Assistant understands and responds to voice commands given to it, answering queries about the news and weather as well as being able to control other internet-connected devices around the home.

A Sony speaker that features Google Assistant. Recordings captured by smart speakers, or your phone, after the Assistant has been summoned are stored by Google.

The company acknowledged that humans can access those recordings after some of its Dutch language audio snippets were leaked.

Google product manager David Monsees acknowledged the leak in a blog post on Thursday, and said the company was investigating the breach.