How I Feel About Devices Threatening our Privacy

While reading the article, "Smart Talking: are our devices threatening our privacy?" by James Vlahos, I was immediately interested by it's content. I have always wondered if our privacy is being compromised through our technology. After reading this article, I understand that audios are only recorded when the device is activated, but it does not mean that the device could accidentally begin to record when it is not asked for.

One man in the article had bought a device that would provide answers to his audio searches. When he went to check his searches online, he was shocked to see many audio recordings of times that he did not directly speak to his product. The device had a malfunction that caused it to record other conversations. Though this was not done on purpose, and was an accident, it goes to show that AI could be listening into chats occurring in one's own home.

One part of the article that got me thinking, was the part when a boy was using the AI to carry out a simple conversation. The child was describing what he was wearing as well as features of his home. He was also talking about the times that he is with his mother and when he is not. The man on the other end of the virtual assistant admitted to feeling unsettled while listening to the recording. A child could say anything to the assistant without knowing if someone is listening. Despite these points, I do understand that the recorded audios are used for improving upon a company's product. By adjusting to a person's words and voice, virtual assistants could become more advanced.

- Jasmine Gonzalez