Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant Gets Creepy New Feature
Voice assistant software has become increasingly popular in recent years with the rise of technology like Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. These programs can perform a variety of tasks ranging from reminders and shopping lists to even playing board games all controlled with a hands-free voice-activated prompt. With most smartphones now coming pre-installed with Google Assistant or Siri for Apple devices, the prominence of the software has led to plenty of advancements and new features with each iteration. Now, Alexa's newest feature has some fans a bit creeped out.
During Amazon's annual MARS conference held throughout the past week, the online juggernaut revealed a variety of new technology with a focus on robotics and artificial intelligence. Among the star-studded lineup of scientific minds were MIT Space Exploration Initiative director Ariel Ekblaw and well-known MythBusters personality Adam Savage. However, the most eye-raising presentation of the conference came from Alexa AI Head Scientist Rohit Prasad. During a segment talking about Amazon's Alexa and future features of the system, Prasad debuted a technology that would allow Alexa to mimic other voices.
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The presentation from Amazon debuted the experimental «Personal Voice Filter» as a way for Alexa's speech to mimic another person after listening to a minute of their recorded voice. The example shown during the presentation demonstrates the program being used to imitate the voice of a child's deceased grandmother, touting the concept of «Human-like empathy.» Prasad went on to say that the new technology can «make the memories last» for users who have lost a family member, suggesting their legacy can live on
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