VIRTUAL assistant Alexa will soon be able to mimic celebrity voices in the latest update to the world’s best-selling smart speaker that will also cook the dinner and screen callers to the front door - but privacy is still an issue for users.
So Alexa’s voice is changing?
At the moment, the voice is computer generated, but among a raft of new features unveiled by the tech giant, Amazon said it will use the same computer programme to mimic celebrities’ voices.
Who?
Pulp Fiction and Avengers star, Samuel L Jackson, is the first celebrity to lend his voice to Alexa, with the computer programme using recordings provided by him as the basis for the way Alexa will mimc him.
He swears?
Instructions on Amazon’s website advises consumers can “just ask and Sam will give you the weather, play your favourite music, tell jokes, and more”.
But in Jackson’s case, Alexa owners will be given the choice of whether they want a version of his voice that curses - or one that keeps it clean.
Any other stars?
Other famous names are to be announced, with all of the celebrities paid for their services and customers charged a fee for the feature, with each voice costing 80p.
It’s not the only virtual assistant out there?
It's currently the best-selling smart speaker in the world, but Google is due to announce new developments in its line this autumn, while Chinese firm, Baidu, has overtaken Google to become the second best seller. Apple also markets its ‘HomePod’ device.
Amazon has other plans up its sleeve?
It’s moving into ‘wearable tech’, such as ‘Echo frames’, a pair of titanium glasses that vibrate to alert wearers to notifications that also have built-in microphones to use Alexa. It’s also releasing wireless Bluetooth earbuds with noise-reduction and the ability to activate Alexa by voice alone.
And Alexa will cook the dinner?
An Alexa oven is soon to be on the market, in the wake of last year’s Alexa microwave. Equipped with convection cooking and an air fryer, it can also scan packaged food items from the Alexa app which will trigger the oven to start cooking.
And it will answer the door too?
The firm has unveiled plans to introduce its ‘Doorbell Concierge’, which allows Alexa to speak with visitors and relay who they are.
But privacy is an issue?
Privacy campaigners believe that with the rise of the smart speaker for the home, regulations on data privacy should be tightened to address the industry-wide concern. It comes after tech companies sparked controversy for admitting to letting contractors listen to their devices’ recordings. Apple has since changed its policy to no longer retain audio recordings by default.
What about Amazon?
At the unveiling event in Seattle, where Amazon has its HQ, hardware chief, Dave Limp, said “Privacy is absolutely foundational to everything we do”.
He said users will soon be able to auto-delete after a set period of time and can now ask a device to delete the day’s activities.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here