Help me with filling out a questionnaire about voice-based assistants

[petrast98]

Dear all,

I am doing research for my final year of uni and I need your help! Would you be able to fill out a questionnaire about voice-based assistants! It is anonymous and short, and would mean a world to me! I really want to finalize my degree :D

Link: https://forms.gle/ZWj5SqsxXHsh4VMf8

 

Thank you!

Petra

[Sensei]

Who is using voice-based assistants? IMHO only incompetent person.. Such voice-based assistant has microphone turned on all the time, analyzing any sound in the room, can store and/or send it without user knowledge.. i.e. it can be easily misused for total invigilation..

[John Cuthber]

Do you know what the H in "IMHO" stands for?

Anyway, when I'm discussing my plans to take over the world I go into the other room leaving Siri to listen to the radio.

[Carrock]

In the good old days, someone talking with an object as though it was a person would risk being tried as a witch.

Slightly more seriously, anyone who doesn't use Siri and completes the questionnaire is lying, which may devalue your results slightly......

[Endy0816]

They only look for their wake word. People have checked network traffic for Alexa and found everything above board. There are local hosting options for voice control too, if you'd rather play it safe.

Your phone's microphone would be a better target really. People are more attached to their phones.

I've found routines and voice control really make life more pleasant and economical. I'm no longer walking into either a sweltering or dark home. Music is playing, underlights and bias lighting is set to come on at sunset. I honestly find myself missing the assistance during the days.

Questionnaire could definitely be worded better. Do wish Alexa had more voice options.

Edited July 8, 2019 by Endy0816

[iNow]

1 hour ago, Endy0816 said:

Your phone's microphone would be a better target really. People are more attached to their phones.

This point bears repeating. There are numerous apps we download that request permissions to microphone and simply don't need it. It's often a backdoor for hackers if you don't manually remove the microphone permissions from settings.

[Strange]

On 7/8/2019 at 2:39 PM, Endy0816 said:

They only look for their wake word.

Except when they don't!

Quote

 these audio clips are often recorded entirely by accident. Usually, AI assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant only start recording audio when they hear their wake word (eg, “Okay Google”), but these reports show the devices often start recording by mistake

https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/11/20690020/google-assistant-home-human-contractors-listening-recordings-vrt-nws

[John Cuthber]

So, when I address the dog from the Magic Roundabout, I risk having my message listened to by Google.

What are the chances of that actually telling Google anything "interesting"?

OK Dougal?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dougal_and_the_Blue_Cat

[koti]

On 7/8/2019 at 5:53 AM, Sensei said:

Who is using voice-based assistants? IMHO only incompetent person.. Such voice-based assistant has microphone turned on all the time, analyzing any sound in the room, can store and/or send it without user knowledge.. i.e. it can be easily misused for total invigilation..

Last week I met a 66 year old gentleman walking back and forth close by to a playground where my kid was playing. He was very well dressed, had an impeccable haircut and shoes, he was also blind as a bat since he was born. I strolled along with him a few times this way and back and found out he's making very good money as a lawyer for a few big add agencies. He mentioned that he needs to spend 5K+ USD annually in licence fees for voice assistants and voice recognition system to work as efficiently as he is.

[Endy0816]

3 hours ago, Strange said:

Except when they don't!

https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/11/20690020/google-assistant-home-human-contractors-listening-recordings-vrt-nws

It happens.The onboard hardware used for recognizing wake words is not as good as the servers understandably. Had Alexa launch into an explanation of Marijuana Day while I was on the phone with family. More entertaining than anything else though.

Don't know other company's products as well, but you can turn the microphones off(Echo Dot) and there are Alexa remotes(push-to-talk) you could use instead. I think easing into the technology is best.

 

18 minutes ago, koti said:

Last week I met a 66 year old gentleman walking back and forth close by to a playground where my kid was playing. He was very well dressed, had an impeccable haircut and shoes, he was also blind as a bat since he was born. I strolled along with him a few times this way and back and found out he's making very good money as a lawyer for a few big add agencies. He mentioned that he needs to spend 5K+ USD annually in licence fees for voice assistants and voice recognition system to work as efficiently as he is.

I've been hearing retirement homes are starting to use them too. I like seeing when technology actually does some good in people's lives.

 

1 hour ago, John Cuthber said:

So, when I address the dog from the Magic Roundabout, I risk having my message listened to by Google.

What are the chances of that actually telling Google anything "interesting"?

OK Dougal?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dougal_and_the_Blue_Cat

All depends, what deep dark secrets do you talk about with Dougal?

[Sensei]

3 hours ago, koti said:

Last week I met a 66 year old gentleman walking back and forth close by to a playground where my kid was playing. He was very well dressed, had an impeccable haircut and shoes, he was also blind as a bat since he was born. I strolled along with him a few times this way and back and found out he's making very good money as a lawyer for a few big add agencies. He mentioned that he needs to spend 5K+ USD annually in licence fees for voice assistants and voice recognition system to work as efficiently as he is. 

You made good point. You gave example of user who is willingly seeking for voice-base assistant app. Writing my post, I was more thinking about built-in smartphone, TV and similar devices voice-based assistants, which are enabled by default, which average user of device has no idea about their existence and more importantly how they perform their duties. IT companies have tendencies to enable everything by default, without explaining how things work. After every automatic upgrade of OS I am finding new stuff that installed on my smartphone, stuff that I don't want.. That opens many routes to misusing them.. total invigilation all the time..

Edited July 11, 2019 by Sensei

[Strange]

Quote

unintentionally recorded exchanges included:

• blazing rows
• bedroom chatter
• parents talking to their children
• phone calls exposing confidential information

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48963235

[Endy0816]

On 7/13/2019 at 11:29 AM, Strange said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48963235

 

How would you feel about something that doesn't require a connection to the cloud?

[Strange]

6 hours ago, Endy0816 said:

 

How would you feel about something that doesn't require a connection to the cloud?

I don't have any feelings about it one way or another, whether it connects to the cloud or not !

[Endy0816]

9 hours ago, Strange said:

I don't have any feelings about it one way or another, whether it connects to the cloud or not !

Suppose you had to use one during a hospital stay. Ideally how would you like it to work in terms of privacy, accuracy, etc?

 

[Strange]

2 hours ago, Endy0816 said:

Suppose you had to use one during a hospital stay. Ideally how would you like it to work in terms of privacy, accuracy, etc?

Why are you asking?

Or, more specifically, why are you asking me?

[Endy0816]

7 hours ago, Strange said:

Why are you asking?

Or, more specifically, why are you asking me?

Trying to figure out what someone presumably more concerned about privacy, might want to see in the future. Presently demand is being driven by convenience and price concerns.

Amazon and others either have already signed partnerships with healthcare groups or are in the courtship process, so we can reasonably expect general exposure to increase.

[Strange]

3 hours ago, Endy0816 said:

Trying to figure out what someone presumably more concerned about privacy, might want to see in the future. 

Lets hope someone more concerned with privacy answers then

[StringJunky]

It's likely only the older generation, like myself, that are concerned with privacy because we have our pasts to compare to the current assaults on it. The younger generation are probably oblivious.

[Strange]

Those interested in such things might find this interesting: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-49205092

Quote

Apple and Google stop workers playing back voice recordings

Apple and Google are temporarily stopping workers listening to voice recordings captured by smart speakers and virtual assistants.
It follows a Guardian report that third-party contractors used by Apple had heard people having sex and discussing private medical information.
Siri and other services can activate in error after wrongly picking up sounds they mishear as their "wake" words.

 

[Sensei]

I am wondering why nobody music artist did not make song with "Hey Siri" or equivalent wake up words... The all worldwide iPhones, while listening to a radio station, or song on YouTube, etc., would wake up and listen this song (and/or commands)..

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Sensei

[Strange]