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Amazon's Alexa Is Coming To an Office Near You (axios.com)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the further-expansion dept.

Amazon announced today that it's bringing its voice assistant into a range of business settings, big and small, like hotels and co-working spaces. From a report: While people always think of Amazon as a consumer company, it has shown itself time and again to have larger ambitions. This move could help it expand tis business services beyond its already popular Amazon Web services. In an interview, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels said that exposure to the workplace will improve Alexa by exposing it to new types of conversations. "The kind of language we use in our offices is sometimes radically different from the more conversational things we do in our(homes)," he told Axios. Alexa "will greatly improve by being exposed to different kinds of statements or conversations."

6 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Legally risky by davidwr · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In countries where employees have some privacy rights, this could expose employers to legal risks.

    Any hotel using this will drive my business elsewhere.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  2. Do we get to listen to the Amazon boardroom? by dprimary · · Score: 4

    Nothing like a huge corporate security leak.

  3. Business case for this does not exist by sinij · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What would be the rationale for putting Alexia into any business that would justify initial purchase and deployment costs? What about control of proprietary information? What about control of legally sensitive information?

  4. Look at all you Debbie Downers! by Voyager529 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow, seriously, no one can think of some possibilities here?

    "Alexa, file a helpdesk ticket about the WiFi not working."

    "Alexa, we need more coffee for the break room. Order some Kopi Luwak."

    "Alexa, laugh maniacally whenever Steve says 'development'."

    "Alexa, please translate the last several minutes of the VP of Marketing's presentation into actual English."

    "Alexa, it's cold in here, turn up the thermostat." *next cubicle over* "Alexa, it's hot in here, turn down the thermostat."

  5. Possibley by sycodon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Google, Amazon, Apple are all missing the point.

    Technologies like this are fantastic, but only if you can wall them off from the outside world, at least as far as sending information goes.

    Put it all on a chip, provide incoming links only, and robust protection against injection type attacks. So, no sending info out, and no using outside info to affect inside systems.

    Tough nut to crack, I know. But that's the ticket!

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    1. Re:Possibley by gtall · · Score: 4, Informative

      Not really, the payoff for these technologies is mining your data, selling you an app is only a means to that end. And most regular proles have no idea what an injection attack is. It isn't clear they even think sending out their information is a bad thing, and you might have to define the term "information" to them.