Google Home - Always Listening - Distress

[WildWayz]

Hi guys

 

I can't find any mention of this on Google... but we have a Google Home Mini in our kitchen. The other day, my wife dropped something and did a kinda startled scream. Goolge Assistant kicked in and said something like "We've detected you're in distress, is this correct?".

 

We were gob-smacked. I couldn't get it to replicate - and she hadn't used "Hey Google" before, so that wasn't triggered.

 

 

[+BudMan MVC]

These devices have to always be listening.. How else would they catch Hey Google or Alexa, etc.. So sure they can listen for other specific things as well.

 

To be honest asking if you are in distress from a scream sounds like a freaking fantastic thing you would want running..

 

The always listening seems to tighten the tinfoil hat on some people - but its no different than your phone listening for hey siri, etc.  You carry a device around in your pocket that is "always" listening but using the same sort of tech on your end table freaks some people out?

 

Its not designed to store what it hears until it hears its key phrase, etc.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2017/07/19/alexa-cant-dial-911-but-google-alexa-and-siri-can-get-you-help/486075001/

The Amazon, Google and Apple devices also are programmed to respond to other statements of physical and mental distress, though some still require the user to access a phone and dial it.

 

This was from July of last year...  I read an article not that long ago about detecting broken glass in such a way that these devices can distinguish the sounds and sound alarm of breakin, etc.   We are in the very early stages of what such a tech can do.. Turning your lights on an off, changing the channel on your TV, etc.  All just baby steps in some amazing tech that is right around the corner.