Techniques and architectures may be used to provide an environment for a speech-based intelligent user assistant (IUA) having a flexible operating system that is based, at least in part, on the context of interaction of a user of a computing system with the computing system. Such a flexible operating system may allow for non-obtrusive communication of the IUA with the user. Thus, for example, a user may communicate with the IUA without interrupting their other activities on the computer, such as playing a video game.