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MineralMan

(146,189 posts)
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 03:49 PM Nov 2019

We had Alexa play us some music yesterday for dinner.

I also had her set a few timers while I was cooking. Then, I thought I'd try something. After saying, "Alexa, stop." to shut off a timer, I said, "Alexa, thank you." I wondered what she was programmed to say when someone says that.

She said, "You bet, George." I had forgotten that she asked for my name during the initial voice training.

Alexa is well-programmed. Little children think she's a real person, pretty much. They don't discriminate between her and real people. They say, "Alexa, play Frozen." And Alexa plays the soundtrack music.

Scary, but pretty cool. Alexa is always listening, waiting for you to ask something of her.

24 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
We had Alexa play us some music yesterday for dinner. (Original Post) MineralMan Nov 2019 OP
Is Alexa trained by her users over time? 5X Nov 2019 #1
I don't think so. I've asked some harder questions, and MineralMan Nov 2019 #4
I ask because I was thinking maybe the users could train Alexa over time, 5X Nov 2019 #5
One inherent flaw... JHB Nov 2019 #2
Isn't Alexa also reporting back to her overlords at Amazon? PoindexterOglethorpe Nov 2019 #3
Reporting what back? My request for an 18 minute timer? MineralMan Nov 2019 #7
LOL! I wonder if someone appearing to plot something terrible PoindexterOglethorpe Nov 2019 #13
i laughed out loud at this: orleans Dec 2019 #24
She's listening to my God awful singing voice singing along with the songs I ask her to play. blueinredohio Nov 2019 #14
She does all kinds of fun stuff ... mr_lebowski Nov 2019 #6
I am SO ready for the Samuel L Jackson voice option! nolabear Nov 2019 #8
I don't use the technology handmade34 Nov 2019 #9
"Alexa is always listening, waiting...." yonder Nov 2019 #10
The "she is always listening" part is kind of unsettling. CentralMass Nov 2019 #11
There are (were?) privacy issues teach1st Nov 2019 #12
we've had one for a few years and love it - playing music for us pretty much all day NRaleighLiberal Nov 2019 #15
Alexa is building a dossier on you for the Ministry of Truth jpak Nov 2019 #16
We use ambient noise/nature sounds a lot PBC_Democrat Nov 2019 #17
We had her play Brian Eno's Music for Airports the other day. MineralMan Nov 2019 #18
Here's something fun to do... SKKY Nov 2019 #19
Alexa played Black Sabbath in the middle of my Thansgiving dinner. sir pball Nov 2019 #20
Can you help me? Are you from my brain? uriel1972 Nov 2019 #21
Oh, wine almost came out my nose sir pball Nov 2019 #22
Get some Kasa smart plugs Zorro Nov 2019 #23

MineralMan

(146,189 posts)
4. I don't think so. I've asked some harder questions, and
Reply to 5X (Reply #1)
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:14 PM
Nov 2019

Alexa can't answer a lot of them. If I ask Google the same hard questions, at least I get a web page with the answer. They're different things, but it's interesting to compare them. I haven't tried Siri, because my wife always has her iPhone with her.

Alexa can quickly tell you the weather where you are immediately, but doesn't do well if you ask about the weather somewhere else by using a zip code or city and state name. So, there are limits to the capabilities. I expect it will get better over time, though.

5X

(3,971 posts)
5. I ask because I was thinking maybe the users could train Alexa over time,
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:17 PM
Nov 2019

or maybe all at once if thousands of users could agree on a plan.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,746 posts)
3. Isn't Alexa also reporting back to her overlords at Amazon?
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:10 PM
Nov 2019

Maybe somewhere down the road I'll change my mind, but right now I have zero interest in a device that is always listening to me.

MineralMan

(146,189 posts)
7. Reporting what back? My request for an 18 minute timer?
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:17 PM
Nov 2019

I suspect that if you ask a question that the current Alexa can't answer, that question is captured and looked at. If it's easy to answer, a little coding will let Alexa answer that if it's ever asked again.

But, nobody cares what you talk about. Alexa is listening, but only for you to say "Alexa." It has to listen or it wouldn't work. But there's nobody analyzing the nonsense you talk about in your home. I can't imagine anything more boring.

Keep in mind that Alexa can be shut off if you're plotting the overthrow of the government or something like that. Just pull the power cord.

I'm interested in how they're using AI to make the thing useful to people. That's what interests me.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,746 posts)
13. LOL! I wonder if someone appearing to plot something terrible
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:52 PM
Nov 2019

would somehow be brought to the attention of the proper authorities. Personally, I try to do all my plotting under a Cone of Silence.

orleans

(33,986 posts)
24. i laughed out loud at this:
Sun Dec 1, 2019, 12:21 AM
Dec 2019

"But there's nobody analyzing the nonsense you talk about in your home. I can't imagine anything more boring."

love it! i'm still smiling.

btw--i agree one hundred percent

blueinredohio

(6,797 posts)
14. She's listening to my God awful singing voice singing along with the songs I ask her to play.
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 05:13 PM
Nov 2019

The overlords are putting in their earplugs.

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
6. She does all kinds of fun stuff ...
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:17 PM
Nov 2019

Some fun ones:
"Alexa, how was your day?" (she's got lots fun answers on this one)
"Alexa, tell me something interesting" (you can do this one all day lol)
"Alexa, tell me a 'yo mama' joke" (she knows many, all of them nice towards your mom)
"Alexa, more cowbell!" (it helps if you know the SNL skit)
"Alexa, Who's on First?"
"Alexa, Self-Destruct!"
"Alexa, Beam Me Up!"
"Alexa, up up down down left right left right B A start" (a famous cheat code for original Nintendo)
"Alexa, surely you can't be serious?"
"Alexa, do you know the Muffin Man?"

nolabear

(41,915 posts)
8. I am SO ready for the Samuel L Jackson voice option!
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:18 PM
Nov 2019

Really! Coming soon. You can get G or R rated. 😃

handmade34

(22,755 posts)
9. I don't use the technology
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:33 PM
Nov 2019

but interesting that when I went to the dentist last month (broke a tooth and needed a new one ) the dentist and tech used Alexa, primarily for timing

yonder

(9,631 posts)
10. "Alexa is always listening, waiting...."
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:35 PM
Nov 2019

That's what scares me as this old Luddite cluelessly posts on his wi-fi enabled device.

It's that unknown, never-off A.I. lurking and waiting, patiently waiting......

CentralMass

(15,265 posts)
11. The "she is always listening" part is kind of unsettling.
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:36 PM
Nov 2019

However, i have an Echo Dot sitting a few feet away from me. They are pretty amazing.

teach1st

(5,928 posts)
12. There are (were?) privacy issues
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 04:38 PM
Nov 2019

Article from VentureBeat, 8/3: Amazon lets Alexa users disable human voice recording review

Amazon Alexa users can now choose whether human reviewers listen to recordings of their exchanges with the AI assistant, a company spokesperson told VentureBeat. Like Siri, Cortana, and Google Assistant, Alexa records every exchange with users of Echo speakers and similar devices as a way to gauge how successful the assistant is in fulfilling user commands and improve performance of its natural language understanding AI.

Bloomberg reported in April that Amazon uses human annotators and reviewers to verify Alexa language understanding interpretation, news that drew the ire of privacy advocates and the wider public. Since then, news reports have highlighted similar practices by other tech giants.


The article goes on to explain settings so that humans don't read listen to your commands and how to delete previous voice commands. Doing so (I did) entails clicking warnings that you will reduce Alexa's responsiveness to your voice, but in my experience not by much, if any. And, just to be safe, I never ask Alexa for the current street price of crystal or for the plans and equipment necessary to storm the castle.

Besides timers, alarms, weather, and traffic (Alexa, how's my commute?), one of Alexa's most helpful services is finding my phone when I've misplaced it (Alexa, where's my phone?).

NRaleighLiberal

(59,940 posts)
15. we've had one for a few years and love it - playing music for us pretty much all day
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 05:33 PM
Nov 2019

Echo in our room connected to a blue tooth speaker playing good sleep music. wife has one in her sewing room.

Could care less who is listening, if they indeed are.

PBC_Democrat

(401 posts)
17. We use ambient noise/nature sounds a lot
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 05:39 PM
Nov 2019

- Thunderstorms
- Rain
- Ocean Waves
- Babbling Brook
- Fireplace
- Airplane
- Fan
- Oscillating Fan
- City
- Rainforest
- Train
- Crickets
- Frogs
- Birds
- Clock
- Cat
- Vacuum
- Pink Noise
- Brown Noise
- White Noise
- Wind
- Windy Leaves
- Windy Trees
- Rain on a Tin Roof
- Rain on a Tent
- Light Rain
- Rain on a Window
- Distant Thunderstorm
- Shower
- Space Deck
- Hair Dryer
- Clothes Dryer
- Dishwasher
- Wind Chimes
- Whale
- Windy Meadow
- Heavy Rain
- Dripping Water
- Fountain
- Waterfall
- Forest Night
- Washing Machine
- Heartbeat
- Café
- Dream
- Blizzard
- Owl
- Underwater

SKKY

(11,770 posts)
19. Here's something fun to do...
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 09:26 PM
Nov 2019

...turn the volume all the way up and say, “Alexa, fart.” From the 11 year-old inside of me, you’re welcome.

sir pball

(4,726 posts)
20. Alexa played Black Sabbath in the middle of my Thansgiving dinner.
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 09:44 PM
Nov 2019

My cousin's husband looked a little guilty then admitted his son likes Sabbath and Slayer and asks for them on my aunt's Alexa when they're housesitting. Not sure if I'm OK with a 7-year old kid being down with it, but the look on my hyperconservative uncle's face was priceless!

We did avoid politics - I hadn't been there in four years, they were thrilled to have me, and, well, we can be civil.

sir pball

(4,726 posts)
22. Oh, wine almost came out my nose
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 10:19 PM
Nov 2019

We pretty much all got a good chuckle out of it besides Uncle, but he wisely just drank his Coors Light..

Zorro

(15,691 posts)
23. Get some Kasa smart plugs
Sat Nov 30, 2019, 11:19 PM
Nov 2019

You can use Alexa to command the plugs to turn on lights that are plugged into them.

Those plugs are also handy when you’re away. You can schedule them to turn the lights on/off to look like someone is home.

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