Amazon is gutting its voice-assistant Alexa. Employees describe a division in crisis and ...

[sl8]

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-alexa-job-layoffs-rise-and-fall-2022-11

Amazon is gutting its voice-assistant Alexa. Employees describe a division in crisis and huge losses on 'a wasted opportunity.'

Eugene Kim
13 hours ago

Alexa is on life-support.

When the voice-assistant first launched in November of 2014, publications called it the "Computer of the future." CNET described it as something out of the sci-fi series Star Trek. Computer World heralded the product as the "future of every home."

Nearly 10 years since, the voice-assistant hasn't lived up to Amazon's expectations.

During the first quarter of this year, Amazon's "Worldwide Digital" unit, which includes everything from the Echo smart speakers and Alexa voice technology to the Prime Video streaming service, had an operating loss of over $3 billion, according to internal data obtained by Insider.

[...]

[keithbvadu2]

1. Alexa. What is wrong?... Oh, shut up and sell me to Eloon.

Alexa. What is wrong?... Oh, shut up and sell me to Eloon.

[rubbersole]

2. Alexa, who's your daddy?

Jeffery Jetson...

[wolfie001]

5. George Jetson?

His boy was named Elroy. Jane his wife? *cue to chopsticks on piano.........

[rubbersole]

6. Jeff Bezos + George Jetson

It was late...

[wolfie001]

12. If we could just get Baldy Bezos to.....

....pay his fucking fair share of federal taxes!!!

[King_Klonopin]

3. People figured out she is a spy for Amazon.com, listening in to everything you say n/t

[Rebl2]

7. That's my feeling too

[Ford_Prefect]

4. There is an aspect of this situation which reminds me of the self-driving car dilemma.

[IbogaProject]

8. I never liked the idea

And I hate that they are pushing that tech onto tv remotes. Unless it only triggers w a button hold I'm against this tech.
South Park has been featuring it with absurd situations arising.
https://h11dfs.com/south-park-trolled-amazon-echo-owners-and-it-was-hilarious/

[ecstatic]

10. Lol! nt

[ecstatic]

9. I received one a couple of Christmases ago but never used it

If it doesn't play well with my services then what's the point? I don't understand why Amazon and Google fight each other, they should be working together.

[SharonAnn]

11. I alive in a senior living facility and many here love it.

Because the controls on various devices (and remotes) are hard for people with vision problems to read, Alexa can fill the gap.

There are those who swear by it.

I'm no personally convinced that I need it and the thought of someone listening in does spook me.