It is what lies behind the eerie skills of face-recognition programs and what makes it possible for personal assistants such as smart speakers in the home to pick out spoken requests and act on them. 

【翻译】这就是人脸识别程序诡秘技术背后的原因，也是家用智能喇叭等个人助手能够识别并处理语音请求的原因。

【分析】两个并列的what 从句作 is 的表语。两个what 都是“融合性关系代词”，在本句指“事情；缘由”。

重点分析第二个what 从句：

what （主语）makes （谓语动词）it （形式宾语）possible for personal assistants such as smart speakers in the home（宾补） to pick out spoken requests and act on them（真正宾语）. 

pick out：识别

act on：处理