The new tech also raises concerns over how much personal privacy we’re willing to give up for a slightly better voice-activated smart speaker.
How Could Alexa Work in the Future?
Currently, the Echo or other Alexa devices will only begin recording when they detect a wake word — sometimes the device will inaccurately detect a wake word and record a personal conversation by accident, but it at least needs to think it heard a wake word prior to recording anything. Using the new technology described in the patent, users could add a wake word to the end of their sentence rather than the beginning, and Alexa would still respond. “Alexa, what’s the weather tomorrow?” could be replaced with “What’s the weather tomorrow, Alexa?” And, as a side effect, the device is essentially always “on,” recording and deleting any audio around it.
What Does This Change?
Now, the update might seem subtle, but it could have a big impact on how easy it is to talk to Alexa devices. Addressing a smart speaker by name will always feel a little clunky and inorganic to many people. Slipping the name into the end of a statement instead of front-loading it could make it feel more more natural and conversational. In fact, this is exactly the kind of evolution in smart speaker tech that was just predicted in a recent report: Voice-enabled devices are beginning to shift from subservient “assistants” to more approachable “companions.”
