Google Is Always Listening. Should I Be Concerned?
Mark Altrogge:
Back around 1975, I met a guy who told me the most incredible news: he was working on “speech recognition software.” “You mean I will be able to talk into a computer and it will write down what I say?” I said. “That is incredible!”
It was incredible. And I started using speech recognition technology as soon as I could get my hands on it. In the 90’s, I dictated notes and emails with the first version of “Dragon” software. Now I use Siri for everything from writing notes to dictating texts to writing blog posts, and I’ve even prepared Sunday messages on my iPhone. I love it. I love saying, “Google, what was Toto’s big song?” and it tells me. Or, “Siri, take me to the nearest Trader Joe’s”, and Siri tells me, “In 200 yards turn right on Penn Avenue.”
But some of my kids think I’m treading dangerous water. Especially when I saw an ad for the “Amazon Echo”, which is a cylinder you place anywhere in a room, and it listens continually. When you say the “wake word” – “Echo” or “Alexa” – it “wakes up” and responds to your commands to “Play ‘Piano Man’, or, “Tell me how to spell Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” or, “Tell me the original lead singer for Kansas,” or, “How do I make shrimp alfredo?”
“I want one of those!” I yelled as soon as I watched the video on Amazon’s site. “Dad, NO!” screamed one of my kids who will remain nameless. “It’s listening all the time and recording everything you say.” “I don’t care,” I said. “I don’t have anything to hide. Maybe it will tell all my friends what to get me on my birthday.”
Google Is Always Listening. Should I Be Concerned? | The Blazing Center.
