Week 3

 Given that my grandmother is an elderly woman, I believe getting her an Alexa Echo a few years ago was a brilliant decision. I got it for her even though she isn't tech-savvy or remotely interested in technology. It would be an excellent idea to give her this gift for Christmas. I visited my grandmother a few weeks after Christmas to learn how she utilized Alexa and whether it worked for her. "No, Alexa is nosy and listens to your conversations," she told me pretty clearly before unplugging it. I thought my grandma was exaggerating at the time, but I now understand that these gadgets are meant to listen in on conversations. The absolute risk of Alexa listening to our discussions was an article that explained why Amazon violates the privacy of its customers by listening to their discussions in the comfort of their homes. According to the company, this improves the accuracy of software responses (Alaimo, 2019). I understand that Alexa's function as a virtual assistant risks violating users' privacy and endangering them. The report also raised the possibility that Amazon might use this information to tailor the marketing emails it sends us or to improve the search engine rankings of our website, depending on our choices (Alaimo, 2019). I also find this information accurate because, for example, I am looking at a safari on my iPhone at a particular store website, and I log into Facebook that advertisements will appear on my timeline. So my next question is whether they even need to use Alexa for ads to appear on my social media. 

The second piece I researched was privacy concerns regarding smart televisions and their ability to watch you. Smart TVs allow users to browse the internet, view images, and stream music and films. The FBI expresses concerns and the risks associated with owning a smart TV in the article "That smart TV you just bought may be spying on you." The FBI notes that new and advanced technological features may allow software developers and electronics manufacturers to spy on consumers. Criminal cyber actors can take control of insecure smart TVs and harm unsuspecting owners (Campbell, 2019). The author expresses how consumers can turn off their cameras to stop hackers from lurking or blocking the camera on the television; however, Users with the newer models of this technology will not have to worry about being spied on….Alledgledy…

The last article I viewed was vital in how society and its users can reign in AI systems to regain our privacy and how it can be dangerous because AI can be "tortured" into releasing data and information (Shou, 2019). This article expresses how now is the time to solve this crucial issue. People, not AI, caused this problem; they should fix it. No simple privacy solutions exist, but guardrails, safety nets, and boundaries can restore order and give people data ownership (Shou, 2019). My next question is, since then, AI systems have advanced, and are we as a society at a point of no return with technology? Some things that can shift these issues are people resolving these issues.


This week, I learned a lot of algorithms but more in-depth about privacy and the dangers of technology and privacy. Some of these things I knew already, such as Alexa listening to conversations, but I did not know AI can be manipulated to the point that it can release data and information from its users. Things like this make me weary because I know marginalized groups of people will suffer more if their privacy were to be invaded. This week has also made me want to cover all cameras on my devices because now I believe I am being watched. After all, as the articles state, Customers need to be aware that these devices are listening to conversations, watching them, or pulling information from different AI systems. 


Resources

  1. The real danger of Alexa listening to our convos. (2019, April 26). CNN.com. Retrieved March 30, 2024, from https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/26/perspectives/amazon-echo-listening-alaimo/index.html

  2. That smart TV you just bought may be spying on you, FBI warns. (2019, December 3). CNN.Com. Retrieved March 30, 2024, from https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/02/politics/smart-tv-fbi-warning-cyber-monday/index.html

Shou, D. (2019, June 12). The Next Big Privacy Hurdle? Teaching AI to Forget. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/the-next-big-privacy-hurdle-teaching-ai-to-forget/

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