3 ms·

As if it already wasn't?

jonplackett 2y ago
Yeah this feels like scaremongering when this is literally already the case anyway. Where do you think your voice is going? The echo is just a microphone and speaker. It can’t process anything.
- walterbell 2y ago
  2021+ Alexa models can perform voice processing locally. This is configured via Device Settings in the Alexa app. Speech recognition accuracy is slightly degraded for opt-in to local processing, https://www.slashgear.com/amazon-skips-the-cloud-with-local-alexa-processing-heres-who-gets-it-28692951/ https://www.slashgear.com/amazon-skips-the-cloud-with-local-... > Amazon is switching on local voice recognition processing, promising users of some of its latest Echo smart speakers and smart displays that they can have their Alexa commands avoid the cloud completely... taps into the retail giant's homegrown AZ1 Neural Edge chipset.. followed Google, Apple, and others in creating its own custom silicon. While the AZ1 may not have been able to power the whole Alexa experience, it was focused instead on specific voice recognition features.
  - jonplackett 2y ago
    That’s cool. Didn’t know that was an option - But then what happens after that? Once it knows what you want to do a request is usually sent somewhere to fulfil it right?
    - walterbell 2y ago
      A small minority of functions can be done without internet, e.g. control of local Zigbee devices connected to Echo's Zigbee hub. Most other functions, including control of local devices connected via WiFi, go through AWS/Alexa cloud. When local voice processing is enabled, only a text transcription of the voice request is sent to the cloud, not the captured audio. (Echo 4 is one of the few Zigbee hub options with US firmware)
      - ranger_danger 2y ago
        Is use of Alexa+ actually mandatory for an Echo moving forward? Can users choose to stay on their current semi-local system without AI like you can now?
        walterbell 2y ago
        That's the multi-million dollar question. Can they alter functionality of purchased devices so drastically, without exposure to class-action lawsuit about fitness for purpose? If an Echo Zigbee device is disconnected from the internet and currently working, how long will that continue to work? If Echo Zigbee devices will effectively be bricked from their current offline purpose and use cases, it could motivate attempts to re-purpose the hardware. Has nothing been learned from the recent Sonos debacle?
thekevan 2y ago
"In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally and, therefore, avoid sending voice recordings to Amazon’s cloud. "
KTibow 2y ago
It sounds like newer devices had a Do Not Send Voice Recordings option that transcribed and processed queries locally.
mr_mitm 2y ago
Yes, it wasn't. You can check by measuring power usage and data volume over time.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
Sohcahtoa82 2y ago
I don't know if it did or didn't. Another comment says it didn't and you can verify this by monitoring its power and network usage, but... I have not done this verification myself. I assume that every device and every piece of software is collecting data on me. I take some steps to reduce it (uBlock Origin in my browser, PiHole on my phone, don't use a fucking Amazon Echo), but I've just come to accept that companies don't give a shit about privacy and will get to know as much as they can about me so they can try to sell me things. This headline is one of those things where if you're caught off-guard and are surprised, you're terrifyingly naive. Be upset, sure, but don't be surprised.
- hulitu 2y ago
  > I don't know if it did or didn't. Some years ago there were some news about some employees who were actually "executing" the comands spoken to Alexa.

Yeah this feels like scaremongering when this is literally already the case anyway. Where do you think your voice is going? The echo is just a microphone and speaker. It can’t process anything.

walterbell 2y ago
2021+ Alexa models can perform voice processing locally. This is configured via Device Settings in the Alexa app. Speech recognition accuracy is slightly degraded for opt-in to local processing, https://www.slashgear.com/amazon-skips-the-cloud-with-local-alexa-processing-heres-who-gets-it-28692951/ https://www.slashgear.com/amazon-skips-the-cloud-with-local-... > Amazon is switching on local voice recognition processing, promising users of some of its latest Echo smart speakers and smart displays that they can have their Alexa commands avoid the cloud completely... taps into the retail giant's homegrown AZ1 Neural Edge chipset.. followed Google, Apple, and others in creating its own custom silicon. While the AZ1 may not have been able to power the whole Alexa experience, it was focused instead on specific voice recognition features.
- jonplackett 2y ago
  That’s cool. Didn’t know that was an option - But then what happens after that? Once it knows what you want to do a request is usually sent somewhere to fulfil it right?
  - walterbell 2y ago
    A small minority of functions can be done without internet, e.g. control of local Zigbee devices connected to Echo's Zigbee hub. Most other functions, including control of local devices connected via WiFi, go through AWS/Alexa cloud. When local voice processing is enabled, only a text transcription of the voice request is sent to the cloud, not the captured audio. (Echo 4 is one of the few Zigbee hub options with US firmware)
    - ranger_danger 2y ago
      Is use of Alexa+ actually mandatory for an Echo moving forward? Can users choose to stay on their current semi-local system without AI like you can now?
      - walterbell 2y ago
        That's the multi-million dollar question. Can they alter functionality of purchased devices so drastically, without exposure to class-action lawsuit about fitness for purpose? If an Echo Zigbee device is disconnected from the internet and currently working, how long will that continue to work? If Echo Zigbee devices will effectively be bricked from their current offline purpose and use cases, it could motivate attempts to re-purpose the hardware. Has nothing been learned from the recent Sonos debacle?

thekevan 2y ago

"In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally and, therefore, avoid sending voice recordings to Amazon’s cloud. "

KTibow 2y ago

It sounds like newer devices had a Do Not Send Voice Recordings option that transcribed and processed queries locally.

mr_mitm 2y ago

Yes, it wasn't. You can check by measuring power usage and data volume over time.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

Sohcahtoa82 2y ago

I don't know if it did or didn't. Another comment says it didn't and you can verify this by monitoring its power and network usage, but... I have not done this verification myself. I assume that every device and every piece of software is collecting data on me. I take some steps to reduce it (uBlock Origin in my browser, PiHole on my phone, don't use a fucking Amazon Echo), but I've just come to accept that companies don't give a shit about privacy and will get to know as much as they can about me so they can try to sell me things. This headline is one of those things where if you're caught off-guard and are surprised, you're terrifyingly naive. Be upset, sure, but don't be surprised.

hulitu 2y ago
> I don't know if it did or didn't. Some years ago there were some news about some employees who were actually "executing" the comands spoken to Alexa.