Brooke wanted a toy and some sugar cookies. So the 6-year-old asked Alexa to get them. Alexa wasn’t her mom or babysitter. It was a voice-activated (声控的) home helper powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Alexa comes with the Amazon Echo device (回波装置). And it made Brooke’s wishes come true. After being reported on TV, Alexa devices in many listeners’ homes woke up and tried to order toys!
Alexa isn’t the only AI willing to order up treats for you. Apple Homepod has Siri, Google Home has its Assistant, and the upcoming (即将来临的) Galaxy Home device will have Bixby. People who own these devices use them mainly for listening to music, checking the weather, and setting timers. According to a report from The Information, people don’t often do voice shopping. They do it mainly to order simple things like paper towels. But many experts predict a boom (繁荣) in voice shopping in the near future.
Convenience is the main benefit of voice shopping. You can shout out an order as soon as you think of it, even if you’re cooking or driving. Besides, people who are unable to use a keyboard or mouse can shop without help.
But voice shopping has its disadvantages. Unwanted things aren’t the biggest problem. It’s usually very easy to cancel an order or return items. The surprising thing is that these assistants are always listening. They have to be able to respond when you want them. So they listen for “Alexa” or “OK Google” or another command. When they hear it, they start recording the conversation. Some have worried about what happens to these recordings. Should companies be allowed to use them to learn about people’s shopping habits? What if someone hacks (非法侵入) the device? What if someone hacks smart TVs to turn them into spies that listen all the time?
【小题1】What is Alexa?| A．A TV reporter. | B．A friend of Brooke. |
| C．A kind of device. | D．A cookie maker. |
| A．Alexa is the best AI device. |
| B．Voice shopping may have a bright future. |
| C．People use Bixby mainly for listening to music. |
| D．People buy various things through voice shopping. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Objective. | D．Negative. |
| A．Education. | B．Business. |
| C．Entertainment. | D．Technology. |
