When some people heard that Amazon employees were listening to what was being recorded on Alexa, they assumed they could hear everything going on at home. It is not true. Alexa cannot record without using a wake word.
The Amazon Echo and other voice assistants that use wake words can only record voice commands made after the wake word. In the case of Amazon, that word is Alexa . But how does the device recognize the word Alexa among other voices and background noises in our homes?
There are three technologies in the Alexa system which, when working together, allow the device to recognize the wake word. Nothing else will start recording. These technologies are the machine's microphones, a three-second buffer, and neural network training.
The Amazon Echo has a multi-microphone system that allows it to pick up the sound of the wake word. These microphones can identify the wake word from all the other sounds that are in the background. When the device hears the word, it starts recording and you will see a dark blue ring of light on top.
Every word Alexa hears goes through multiple layers of testing. This test determines if the word is the wake word. Once the word has gone through several layers of verification and the Echo device determines it is indeed the wake word, Alexa begins recording.
People are worried that Alexa will start recording without actually hearing the wake word. It is therefore essential that Alexa does not start recording without someone speaking to her directly. Recognizing the word and not confusing it with other words is a top priority.
The software relies on data that represents all the possible ways to pronounce the word Alexa. This data helps the device determine when the user is talking to the device. Amazon also uses other data it receives to ensure that it doesn't activate upon hearing the word in casual conversation or background noise.
Businesses that use the word Alexa in their advertisements send that advertisement to Amazon. They upload the sound of the wake word in the ad to the neural network. This data teaches Alexa to ignore this sound.
Using the network, Amazon ensures that the device does not start recording when the word Alexa is found in the background noise. If someone says "Alexa" during a TV show, the network understands that it's unlikely that a large number of devices have all heard the same word, in the same tone, at the exact same time. It will ignore the sound and not start recording.
If you don't want Alexa to listen to the wake word, the easiest thing to do is press the mute button on the top of the device. It won't listen until you turn the microphones back on.
You can change your settings to keep your data private. On the mobile app, open settings, then select “Manage how your data enhances Alexa,” then flip the switches to the off position.
You can now even tell Alexa to forget everything you said that day. Start by activating the skill by opening the settings, then check the voice history. Turn on the switch. Then when you say, "Alexa, delete everything I said today," the server deletes all data for that day.
Amazon is making improvements to the Alexa system. They have new technology in the microphone array and the neural network to make the system even more accurate. In the meantime, if you're concerned about privacy, take steps to keep your data off servers.
