Voice assistants have a gender bias problem. What can we do about it?
Spike Jonze’s 2013 film “Her”, in which a man falls in love with his computer’s female-sounding, voice-enabled software, is quickly feeling less like a work of science fiction and more like an increasingly-realistic premonition. Full Story: Brookings Institution
Why now is the time for marketers to invest in multiple digital voices
Voice technology has quickly gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers looked for contactless ways to engage with brands. Full Story: ClickZ
Volvo Deploys First Commercial Trucks With Alexa Built-In
Volvo announced that Amazon’s Alexa will integrate directly into its newest line of commercial trucks in Europe, a first for the voice assistant. Full Story: Voicebot.ai
Google Assistant spoken notifications now supported by wired headphones
Google has confirmed that Google Assistant’s spoken notifications are now available on all wired headphones (via 9to5Google). Full Story: What Hi-Fi?
Voice assistant recordings could reveal what someone nearby is typing
Voice assistants can detect typing on nearby devices, which could potentially be used to work out what a person is writing on their phone from up to half a metre away. Full Story: New Scientist
New Alexa feature lets you text Amazon’s voice assistant with commands
Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant (or should we say ‘text assistant’?) has now got a new messaging function, meaning US users can send texts direct to Alexa instead of asking it questions out loud. Who needs friends to text, eh? Full Story: TechRadar
Voiceitt Debuts Direct Alexa Control for People with Speech Disabilities
Alexa is working with Israeli voice tech startup Voiceitt to enable people with atypical and impaired speech to use the voice assistant. Full Story: Voicebot.ai
Amazon now lets you text Alexa on iOS to ask for things instead of only using your voice
Amazon is testing a new feature for its iOS Alexa app: the ability to type out Alexa commands, instead of having to ask questions or requests by speaking out loud. Full Story: The Verge
Samsung Bixby voice assistant update adds new features
Samsung has released an updated version of its Bixby voice assistant, it brings some new features to the app and a simplified experience. Full Story: Geeky Gadgets
Amazon Introduces Customer Voice Recognition Feature to Call Center Platform
Amazon announced plans to integrating voice recognition technology into its enterprise call center platform at its yearly re:Invent conference. Full Story: Voicebot.ai
