Will Google Assistant Local require external access?

Configuration Voice Assistant
1

Like many here, I am eagerly awaiting support for the Google Assistant Local support. I haven’t yet set up Google Assistant because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to expose my HA instance to the internet. Can anyone confirm if the Local (when it comes) will or will not also require external access?

As per this post, my understanding goes like so:

  1. You speak to GA to turn on a light
  2. Google deciphers what is meant
  3. the GA talks directly with your philips hub on your local network
  4. the light turns on

I don’t see a reason why HA would need to be exposed to Google directly, but maybe it will still be required.

On a side note, is there a place to subscribe to new features like this, short of reading every blog announcement?

2

It always pays to read the blog posts.

You could subscribe to GitHub pull requests, but that would be more onerous than reading the blog.

3

No one can give a definitive (or confident) answer on this? I’m trying to avoid exposing my HA to the internet, on the hope that GA Local won’t require it. But if Local requires it anyway, I may as well bite the bullet now.

And yes, I’m aware of the HA Cloud option.