“Alexa, how lazy can I be ?”
Alexa is the new friend and a more of an AI roommate. When letting anything new in, the best is to always explore “The good, the bad, and the creepy”
“Alexa can do quick math for you, launch your favorite playlists, check news and weather, and control many of your home’s smart products.” (Bizzaco,2020) “Alexa, this. Alexa, that” is making you “lazier”
When it comes to Alexa, consumers fall into two different categories. A group of consumers who find it the best thing and almost can’t live without after having it, and other consumers who find it “unsafe” and raise the question of “How lazy can someone be?”
Is it human nature to be lazy? It is believed that many human beings blame nature as the decisive factor for their laziness. However, the answer is not that simple. Believing so will lead humans to the lack of effort to change behavior in present lifetime. Here comes the need of Alexa.
The concerns about Alexa’s safety originated from the extensive searches about “the bad” and “the creepy” aspects of Alexa. “Alexa has been known to suddenly exhibit weird behaviors.”(Gewirtz, 2018) Alexa owners have been experiencing a sudden speaking sound of Alexa, without being woken up by a wake word. Also, many users have been hearing weird and creepy sounds of Alexa “screaming at night” and “evil sound laughter’s”
“The way developers are solving it now is to listen for a wake word, or, essentially, a specifically defined sound wave form”(Gewirtz, 2018) Alexa’s microphones are always on, and here come the big question of “fear” and “security” “Alexa, are you invading my privacy?”
This AI’s microphone is “feeding data back to a massive central location, which might come with some privacy risks.” (stenger,2018) The dark side of Alexa also include that it is susceptible to hacking, making us and kids lazier, and also believed to make us dumber.
The fact of making your place “smart ” seems appealing, or at least it seemed fun to me. However, understanding that “fun” might turn into “danger”, a second thought is essential. Analyzing the question “Are AI assistants changing our lives for the better or the worst?” and most importantly “is it worth it?”
