Is there any way to get Alexa to recognize only one voice, or a select set?

[oenomel]

I would like to be able to be the only one in my home to activate Alexa - is there any way to accomplish this?

[mike27oct]

You're kidding, right? 

Alexa responds to any understandable command from any voice.  It can even respond to Alexa TV commercials where Alexa is said.

[renegade600]

not going to happen at this time, the filters would be a nightmare to create. 

[oenomel]

You're kidding, right? 

Alexa responds to any understandable command from any voice.  It can even respond to Alexa TV commercials where Alexa is said.

nope, not kidding.  The question came up when I was espousing the virtues of the Echo to a not-yet-Echo-owner, and it seems reasonable to me to ask.  Wouldn't it be cool if it only interacted with you, or with you and whomever else you wanted it to talk to?  It really isn't much of a "personal assistant" if it works with everyone who can say "Alexa".  I can understand the desire to have it respond solely to whom i choose.  That makes it much more personal.

[saturnkk]

If the technology is there (I doubt it is) it would be a great selling feature as now I could configure security within Alexa! 

[Snafs]

Four ways I can see them being able to implement security.

1: Voice recognition. Not easy, but still possible to some degree I would imagine.

2: Give Alexa Vision, and why not, any robot device we may buy in the future we would expect it to have vision, as can the selfie cam on a phone. If it see's it's you, then, THERE is your security.

3: Wear an encoded key/badge. You have to have this badge/tag on you and in detection range

4: A FingerPrint Scanner on the top. So the echo works like normal, but for private stuff, hold your finger on the top, scans it, THEN you can do private stuff.

That would probably be the most secure and practical, as you would only need to do private stuff from time to time.

[DParker]

2: Give Alexa Vision, and why not, any robot device we may buy in the future we would expect it to have vision, as can the selfie cam on a phone. If it see's it's you, then, THERE is your security.

As much as some people already whine about privacy issues because of the always-listening microphone array (and their misunderstanding of how the Echo/Dot/Tap work) I can just imagine the howling if the devices gained eyes.

[strayfish]

As much as some people already whine about privacy issues because of the always-listening microphone array (and their misunderstanding of how the Echo/Dot/Tap work) I can just imagine the howling if the devices gained eyes.

That wouldn't be a dig at me, would it? Surely not! For the record, it was a discussion of the ethics associated with storage of voice data originating from people who had no idea that would happen. No whining, just a consideration of something that isn't actually addressed by Amazon and in the particular context of the more vulnerable adults many people are considering would benefit from use of this device. As to the matter of 'eyes' - same issue but movement detectors, internal cameras and so forth are coming increasingly into use as monitoring/assistive technologies and require user consent insofar as it can be achieved. We just need to think ahead a little when it comes to a potentially ubiquitous device like the Echo.

[Snafs]

I can totally see (pun intended!) many going ape over an Alexa or Google Home with a camera.

OMG the FBI, Google, etc etc are going to be watching me all day.
Really? you are THAT interesting do you think?
Of all the tens of millions with these products, they are going to employ people to sit there and watch YOU all day!

What's the worse you are going to do? Pick your nose? Scratch your balls? Small your armpits?
Yes, government will be so interested in paying people to watch that

On a slightly more serious note though, so, you will never ever allow any robotic pet/android ever into your home, unless it's blind?
Its a odd situation. No one would question a future robotic 'thing' in your home one day that would have an AI, can hear, speak and see, and yet, stick a camera on an Alexa or a games console (Msoft kinnect) and people go nuts paranoid over it.

[strayfish]

That wouldn't be a dig at me, would it? Surely not! For the record, it was a discussion of the ethics associated with storage of voice data originating from people who had no idea that would happen. No whining, just a consideration of something that isn't actually addressed by Amazon and in the particular context of the more vulnerable adults many people are considering would benefit from use of this device. As to the matter of 'eyes' - same issue but movement detectors, internal cameras and so forth are coming increasingly into use as monitoring/assistive technologies and require user consent insofar as it can be achieved. We just need to think ahead a little when it comes to a potentially ubiquitous device like the Echo.

Don't be so touchy and egocentric.  Not everything is about you.  If it were a dig at you it would have begun...

     "As much as you whine..."

...instead of...

     "As much as some people whine..."

 

You're right of course, although it was you gave me a roasting over that on another thread so I'd say you've got previous

[mike27oct]

>>> " . . . they are going to employ people to sit there and watch YOU all day!

Well, Big Brother did!  "They" also did so in the great 60's British series, "The Prisoner".

Alert: Turn off all Echo devices immediately!

[NeilV]

not going to happen at this time, the filters would be a nightmare to create.

Seriously??

Siri does it on my iPhone.

[renegade600]

not going to happen at this time, the filters would be a nightmare to create.

Seriously??

Siri does it on my iPhone.

well, since the answer was about Alex NOT Siri or any other ai, it was valid at the time and still is.  You gotta take the answer in the context of what was asked.

[asianrocker]

I can totally see (pun intended!) many going ape over an Alexa or Google Home with a camera.

OMG the FBI, Google, etc etc are going to be watching me all day.
Really? you are THAT interesting do you think?
Of all the tens of millions with these products, they are going to employ people to sit there and watch YOU all day!

What's the worse you are going to do? Pick your nose? Scratch your balls? Small your armpits?
Yes, government will be so interested in paying people to watch that

LOL. Too funny.

[scottrods]

not going to happen at this time, the filters would be a nightmare to create.

Seriously??

Siri does it on my iPhone.

well, since the answer was about Alex NOT Siri or any other ai, it was valid at the time and still is.  You gotta take the answer in the context of what was asked.

Also, Alexa AI is truly not "on board" the device as the Siri one is... at least Siri is more "on board" than Alexa is for sure. Otherwise it would have a hard time searching just the stuff on your phone. Alexa doesn't do local search like that at all. It has a hard time recognizing stuff that you've told it a hundred times. There's no need to integrate much of a local search on Alexa... however, since this thread originated, you can personalize the echo a lot more, to a point it can recognize who is talking and make calls and choose things that are person specific now. It's been a busy year on Amazon's Alexa Tech team... they've actually accomplished a lot this year.