Voice assistant software has become increasingly popular in recent years with the rise of technology like Amazon’sAlexaand Google Assistant. These programs can perform a variety of tasks ranging from reminders and shopping lists toeven playing board gamesall 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-knownMythBusterspersonality Adam Savage. However, the most eye-raising presentation of the conference came from Alexa AI Head Scientist Rohit Prasad. During a segmenttalking about Amazon’s Alexaand future features of the system, Prasad debuted a technology that would allow Alexa to mimic other voices.
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The presentation from Amazondebuted 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 through Alexa’s voice imitation software.
The shocking reveal has drawn significant criticism from those watching the conference with many calling into question the ethical nature of the software. While Amazon pushed the software as a way to preserve the memory of a lost family member, some compared it to science-fiction showBlack Mirror’s second season premiere. The presentation had also previously showcased a new Alexa feature referred to as “Alexa Conversations” which allows Alexa to track multiple prompts at the same time.
Though many were unnerved by the voice imitation software, Amazon’s newest foray into artificial intelligence would not be the first of its kind. A patent filed early last year by Microsoft posited the idea of achatbot based around mimicking the styleof a real person using message logs and social media posts. Film studios have also used CGI to feature deceased actors in new movies likeGhostbusters: Afterlife’s recreation of Harold Ramis. Artificial intelligence technology is constantly advancing and Amazon’s newest technology would look to be a major, albeit highly controversial, leap.
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