Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Alexa Reportedly Called 911 - Blog 8

On July 12, Alexa reportedly called 911 in response to her owner saying “Alexa, call 911 for the Sheriff.”  A few days later it was reported that Alexa can only call another Alexa-powered device.  This story evolved into a deeper question of asking should voice activated devices to be able to call.

In fact, Google’s Home, Echo’s biggest competitor, is expected to be able to call any number in the US besides 911 or 1-900 numbers.  Furthermore, the voice prompted devices are also trying to help beyond 911.  In times of crisis, Echo and Google have been programmed to apologize, provide direct numbers to help, and even recommend activities to do to help brighten the mood.    

This technology has significant potential and in time more will be created and utilized.

No comments: