Amazon's Alexa could soon be able to replicate voices of dead relatives. The new feature was unveiled at Amazon's Re:Mars conference in Las Vegas and is in development, though no timescale was given for when it will be introduced.
The technology would allow the virtual assistant to copy the voice of a person based on less than a minute of recording. Rohit Prasad, senior vice president and head scientist for Alexa, said the aim was to build greater trust in the interactions people have with Alexa by putting more "human attributes of empathy and affect".
"These attributes have become even more important during the ongoing pandemic when so many of us have lost ones that we love," Mr Prasad said. "While AI can't eliminate that pain of loss, it can definitely make their memories last."
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In a video played by Amazon at the conference, a young child asks "Alexa, can Grandma finish reading me the Wizard Of Oz?" Alexa then acknowledges the request and switches to another voice mimicking the child's grandmother. The voice assistant then continues to read the book in that same voice, WalesOnline reports.
Mr Prasad said the company had to learn how to make a "high-quality voice" with a shorter recording, as opposed to hours of recording in a studio.
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