I never in a million years thought I'd have use for one. But I got my blind father a Google Home device on the day they were released, and it's been so wonderful for him. He can listen to radio stations around the world, or any YouTube video, or old radio plays, or ... best of all, his baseball games! He got a second one so he doesn't have to move it from the living room to the bedroom, and he recently discovered (somehow!) that he can have the device act as an intercom so he doesn't have to yell for my mom if he needs her help! It's been such a wonderful thing for him.
Hi
@Suppressed Different story - Your father's disability is a grand justification - If I were still in a wheelchair, hurting as I was, I would more likely justify it too.
Since I have Amazon prime, I got one of their devices, to see whether that would be better for him. And I'm hooked. I'm accepting of the claim that the device does entirely local processing until it hears the wake word, figuring that even it's not true, I'm not worried too much since I live alone.
My IQ has been falling for years, but I don't think I'm stupid yet.
Again, different story - My comment was specific - I don't trust it, I don't use it... Why is it then stupid to
disable it and regain noticeable performance from my machine?
But to your comment more broadly - Whether a local process until it hears it's name or not, it is IN FACT an open mike in your home. To suggest that won't be exploited is simply naive. Sooner or later, AdSense companies will insist the mike is just left on for their purposes in 'better tailoring goods and services for your 'benefit' '.... Sooner or later, we will find authorities able to turn it on and use it for 'law enforcement purposes'... And etcetera.
It is neither wild-eyed, nor particularly prescient to see how this tech, combined with AI, which is improving at an exponential rate, will be used to monitor your every waking moment, both mike and cam, not only for your 'benefit and protection', but against your freedom and privacy.
One need only imagine Soviet era governments with this tech in their possession to plumb those depths, and understand that yes, it can happen here.