“Voice Catchers” is the name of the new book by media researcher Joseph Turow, which translates into German as “The Voice Catchers”. In it, the scientist shows how the human voice could be used by companies in the future.
IT companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Samsung have long been working on software and devices that understand language – and with good reason: talking to devices is often more practical than typing. Joseph Turow is convinced that in the future we will control much more often with our voice instead of struggling with the keyboard.
A digital assistant that understands language is already preinstalled on every smartphone. You can also verbally command the smart speaker in the living room.
Hidden biometric data
A person’s voice is unique, like their face. Similar to a photo, you can also identify someone using their voice. “Automatic face recognition worries people,” says Jospeh Turow. The awareness that one also reveals biometric data with one’s voice, however, is completely absent.
Call centers already use voiceprints as an additional security element. Scientists like Rita Singh are convinced that in the future one can use artificial intelligence to derive completely different physical characteristics from the voice – body size, weight or ethnicity. An Israeli start-up is working on disease detection.
Even the mood should be evident from the voice. How reliably this will actually work one day cannot be said at the moment.
The data track is getting longer
The providers of smart speakers and digital assistants can already access a treasure trove of data via voice-controlled devices: When using them at home, we constantly provide information about our habits. Our voice reveals who is talking to the device and, in the future, maybe even something about how we are feeling.
Joseph Turow wanted to know what the future looked like. Because the big IT companies didn’t want to speak to him, he looked for clues in patent applications. He came across amazing things:
- If a user speaks with his smart speaker in the future and has to cough, the device could recommend a medication for colds. (Patent Amazon)
- With a certain key word (“Siri”, “Alexa”) you switch on a digital assistant today. Special expressions such as “I like …” could be added in the future. The device then wakes up, remembers the context and uses the information for advertising. If someone in the family circle says “I like San Francisco,” the person will later be promoted with cheap flights to California.
In the best case scenario, this is a long way off – in the worst case scenario, a surveillance nightmare. But American corporations are constantly filing patents for all kinds of ideas, emphasizes Joseph Turow. It is therefore uncertain whether these ideas will actually ever be implemented.
The scientist does not fundamentally reject digital assistants or smart speakers. As long as everything is within the legal framework, he has no problem with this technology. He finds the classification of people on the basis of a voiceprint problematic. He therefore calls for clear laws that set limits.