It’s true, Amazon Alexa will soon be able to mimic just about any human voice, including lost relatives. All it would need is to hear the voice for less than a minute, whether it be an audio clip or actual voice recording. There’s no word yet on when this feature will be rolling out to devices, but we’re guessing before the holidays.
How is Amazon Alexa able to mimic human voices by just listening to less than a minute of audio? Well, the company made it happen is by framing the problem as a voice-conversion task and not a speech-generation task, without going into further detail. Then we have these audio deepfakes that are very hard to distinguish from real voices.
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Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) | Smart display with Alexa and 2 MP camera | Glacier White
- See your day clearly with Alexa at the ready – Set alarms and timers, check your calendar or the news, make video calls with the 2 MP camera, and stream music or shows – all with your voice.
- Add Alexa to your nightstand – Ease into the day with a routine that turns compatible lights on gradually. Or wake up to your news update, the weather forecast, and your favorite music.
- Manage your smart home – Look in when you’re away with the built-in camera. Control compatible devices like cameras, lights, and more using the interactive display, your voice, or your motion.
- Connect with video calling – Use the 2 MP camera to call friends and family who have the Alexa app or an Echo device with a screen. Make announcements to other compatible devices in your home.
- Be entertained – Ask Alexa to play TV shows and movies via Prime Video, Netflix, and more. Or stream favorites from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and others. Subscriptions for some services required.
These attributes have become even more important during the ongoing pandemic when so many of us have lost ones that we love. While AI can’t eliminate that pain of loss, it can definitely make their memories last,” said Rohit Prasad, senior vice president and head scientist for Alexa.