Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant Gets Creepy New Feature
Voice assistant software program has develop into more and more standard lately with the rise of expertise like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. These packages can carry out a wide range of duties starting from reminders and purchasing lists to even taking part in board video games all managed with a hands-free voice-activated immediate. With most smartphones now coming pre-installed with Google Assistant or Siri for Apple gadgets, the prominence of the software program has led to loads of developments and new options with every iteration. Now, Alexa’s latest function has some followers a bit creeped out.
During Amazon’s annual MARS convention held all through the previous week, the net juggernaut revealed a wide range of new expertise with a deal with robotics and synthetic intelligence. Among the star-studded lineup of scientific minds had been MIT Space Exploration Initiative director Ariel Ekblaw and well-known MythBusters persona Adam Savage. However, probably the most eye-raising presentation of the convention got here from Alexa AI Head Scientist Rohit Prasad. During a phase speaking about Amazon’s Alexa and future options of the system, Prasad debuted a expertise that will enable Alexa to imitate different voices.
The presentation from Amazon debuted the experimental “Personal Voice Filter” as a approach for Alexa’s speech to imitate one other particular person after listening to a minute of their recorded voice. The instance proven throughout the presentation demonstrates this system getting used to mimic the voice of a kid’s deceased grandmother, touting the idea of “Human-like empathy.” Prasad went on to say that the brand new expertise can “make the reminiscences final” for customers who’ve misplaced a member of the family, suggesting their legacy can dwell on by Alexa’s voice imitation software program.
The stunning reveal has drawn important criticism from these watching the convention with many calling into query the moral nature of the software program. While Amazon pushed the software program as a option to protect the reminiscence of a misplaced member of the family, some in contrast it to science-fiction present Black Mirror’s second season premiere. The presentation had additionally beforehand showcased a brand new Alexa function known as “Alexa Conversations” which permits Alexa to trace a number of prompts on the identical time.
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