Amazon's virtual voice assistant Alexa was officially transformed into a Gen-Z 'cool kid'. Alexa, with its increased rizz (Gen-Z term&nbsp;for charisma), will now help the older folks who have trouble speaking the language of today's younger generation.&nbsp;

The AI assistant recently received a vocabulary update allowing customers to ask, "Alexa, talk Gen Z to me" to reveal one of 20 phrases that include the most popular Gen Z words.

The phrases were added after research carried out by Amazon in the United Kingdom which revealed the communication breakdown between old and young.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Alexa is ready to help with answers to everything, including keeping up to date with the very latest lingo,” Meryem Tom, Amazon Alexa’s UK&nbsp;country manager told The Mirror.&nbsp;

“Our research shows that there’s plenty of Brits out there who can’t quite keep up with Gen Z’s jargon and we hope that Alexa’s new feature will be a reliable source of knowledge for those who want to brush up on their Gen Z vocabulary.”&nbsp;

Also watch |&nbsp;Why you shouldn't put Alexa in your bedroom

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<h2>What did the research reveal?</h2>

Amazon’s research revealed that 35 per cent of the Gen-Z population cringed when an older person misused their slang in daily communication.&nbsp;

It also revealed that social media was the primary source of new slang with nearly 65 per cent of Gen Z’ers admitting that TikTok prompted their use of new terms and phrases.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/researchers-reveal-outcomes-if-alexa-or-siri-speak-like-you-661918">Also read |&nbsp;If virtual assistants Alexa or Siri sound like you, then you'll love them more: Study</a>

Some of the popular slang added to Alexa's vocabulary:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Rizz - short for charisma</li>
	<li>Tea - gossip</li>
	<li>Sus - short for suspicious</li>
	<li>Cap - to lie</li>
	<li>Fam - short for family, used interchangeably with bro, dude</li>
	<li>Drip - style</li>
	<li>Lit - exciting, fun</li>
	<li>Slay&nbsp;-&nbsp;killing at something&nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Gen Z slang has become an important part of daily vocabulary among the masses. Earlier this year, Dictionary.com announced it was adding&nbsp;several Gen-Z slang words and terms to keep up with the modern times.&nbsp;

“It’s 2024, and the pace of language change is as rapid as it has ever been.&nbsp;Our lexicographers are updating the dictionary more frequently than ever, doing the human-scale work of documenting words across the vast spectrum of the always-evolving English language," the word-defining platform stated.&nbsp;

As many as 327 new words were entered into the dictionary with phrases such as 'Mid', 'Bussin' and&nbsp;'Girl Math' gaining popularity.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Amazon's virtual voice assistant Alexa was officially transformed into a Gen-Z 'cool kid'. Alexa, with its increased rizz (Gen-Z term for charisma), will now help the older folks who have trouble speaking the language of today's younger generation.

Amazon's virtual voice assistant Alexa was officially transformed into a Gen-Z 'cool kid'. Alexa, with its increased rizz (Gen-Z term for charisma), will now help the older folks who have trouble speaking the language of today's younger generation. The AI assistant recently received a vocabulary update allowing customers to ask, "Alexa, talk Gen Z to me" to reveal one of 20 phrases that include the most popular Gen Z words. The phrases were added after research carried out by Amazon in the United Kingdom which revealed the communication breakdown between old and young. “Alexa is ready to help with answers to everything, including keeping up to date with the very latest lingo,” Meryem Tom, Amazon Alexa’s UK country manager told The Mirror. “Our research shows that there’s plenty of Brits out there who can’t quite keep up with Gen Z’s jargon and we hope that Alexa’s new feature will be a reliable source of knowledge for those who want to brush up on their Gen Z vocabulary.” Also watch | Why you shouldn't put Alexa in your bedroom What did the research reveal? Amazon’s research revealed that 35 per cent of the Gen-Z population cringed when an older person misused their slang in daily communication. It also revealed that social media was the primary source of new slang with nearly 65 per cent of Gen Z’ers admitting that TikTok prompted their use of new terms and phrases. Also read | If virtual assistants Alexa or Siri sound like you, then you'll love them more: Study Some of the popular slang added to Alexa's vocabulary: Rizz - short for charisma Tea - gossip Sus - short for suspicious Cap - to lie Fam - short for family, used interchangeably with bro, dude Drip - style Lit - exciting, fun Slay - killing at something Gen Z slang has become an important part of daily vocabulary among the masses. Earlier this year, Dictionary.com announced it was adding several Gen-Z slang words and terms to keep up with the modern times. “It’s 2024, and the pace of language change is as rapid as it has ever been. Our lexicographers are updating the dictionary more frequently than ever, doing the human-scale work of documenting words across the vast spectrum of the always-evolving English language," the word-defining platform stated. As many as 327 new words were entered into the dictionary with phrases such as 'Mid', 'Bussin' and 'Girl Math' gaining popularity. (With inputs from agencies)

Amazon's Alexa with increased 'rizz' will now define Gen Z slangs for older people

Amazon faced another privacy breach allegation related to children's privacy rights this time and has agreed to pay an additional 25 million dollars as part of a separate settlement. The issue escalated when the tech giant failed to delete Alexa recordings at the parents' request and kept them longer than necessary. These FTC settlements Mark a significant step in holding Big Tech accountable for prioritizing data collection profits over privacy concerns.

Amazon accused of privacy breach by storing Alexa's recordings

Did you know that you can keep your device anywhere in your house, but you should not keep it in your bedroom? The concern is privacy breach. Watch this to know more.

Why you shouldn't put Alexa in your bedroom

Soon, Alexa will be able to invoke some fond memories by speaking to you in a loved one's voice. At Amazon's annual "re: Mars" conference on Wednesday, new enhancements to the AI device—which effectively functions as a virtual assistant—were unveiled. According to the manufacturer, Alexa's new feature would "allow lasting personal interactions."

For instance, Alexa can read a story aloud in the grandmother's voice if someone requests it. Rohit Prasad, senior vice president and head scientist of Alexa AI at Amazon, claimed that Alexa can mimic a person's speech using a brief recording of their voice.

In a video that was shown during the event, a small boy requests Alexa to have his grandma finish reading him the "Wizard of Oz."

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After many individuals lost loved ones to the pandemic, Prasad said, the ability for Alexa to be a companion and have human-like empathy is very helpful. "AI can make such relationships last, even while it can't take away the agony of loss."

According to Prasad, Amazon "had to learn to produce a high-quality voice with less than a minute of recording versus hours of recording in the studio" to develop this function. The solution was achieved by defining the issue as a voice conversion task rather than a speech generation process, according to the authors.

Using the recordings the celebrities provide as the starting point for new computer-generated sentences, Amazon revealed in 2019 that Alexa might adopt the voices of popular personalities with their permission, such as Samuel L. Jackson's instantly recognisable voice.

Another new feature that was unveiled at the event was "Conversation mode," which eliminates the need to say "Hey, Alexa," You only need to say it once to continue speaking to Alexa and making requests.

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Soon, Alexa will be able to invoke some fond memories by speaking to you in a loved one's voice. At Amazon's annual "re: Mars" conference on Wednesday, new enhancements to the AI device—which effectively functions as a virtual assistant—were unveiled.

Soon, Alexa will be able to invoke some fond memories by speaking to you in a loved one's voice. At Amazon's annual "re: Mars" conference on Wednesday, new enhancements to the AI device—which effectively functions as a virtual assistant—were unveiled. According to the manufacturer, Alexa's new feature would "allow lasting personal interactions." For instance, Alexa can read a story aloud in the grandmother's voice if someone requests it. Rohit Prasad, senior vice president and head scientist of Alexa AI at Amazon, claimed that Alexa can mimic a person's speech using a brief recording of their voice. In a video that was shown during the event, a small boy requests Alexa to have his grandma finish reading him the "Wizard of Oz." × After many individuals lost loved ones to the pandemic, Prasad said, the ability for Alexa to be a companion and have human-like empathy is very helpful. "AI can make such relationships last, even while it can't take away the agony of loss." According to Prasad, Amazon "had to learn to produce a high-quality voice with less than a minute of recording versus hours of recording in the studio" to develop this function. The solution was achieved by defining the issue as a voice conversion task rather than a speech generation process, according to the authors. Using the recordings the celebrities provide as the starting point for new computer-generated sentences, Amazon revealed in 2019 that Alexa might adopt the voices of popular personalities with their permission, such as Samuel L. Jackson's instantly recognisable voice. Another new feature that was unveiled at the event was "Conversation mode," which eliminates the need to say "Hey, Alexa," You only need to say it once to continue speaking to Alexa and making requests. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Grandma's voice from Amazon Alexa is freaking out the internet

Amazon is extending the feature of ‘Hindi language’ support for Alexa voice assistant. Amazon Alexa is easily available on Echo Dot, Echo Plus and more from where it can be used to gain information and entertainment of various genres.

Amazon India's smart assistant Alexa completed one year of its existence, and will now available be on both Android and iOS smartphones in the country from Monday. The customers can now interact with Alexa in Hindi using the Alexa app on their mobile devices.

Alexa in Hindi can be experienced on the entire Amazon Echo range of smart speakers, Alexa built-in devices by other brands, the company said.

Alexa can now understand 50 different ways to play a particular song in Hindi. Amazon has also added six new Alexa original songs and poems, along with 20 new stories in Hindi.

Alexa now has a special message for all users in India. Just ask "Alexa, hamari dosti par poem sunao".

The company said that Alexa is now equipped with hundreds of new words from the Hindi vocabulary, and is also able to understand different ways in which customers can ask for the same information.

At the launch last year, Amazon had over 500 Hindi skills. Today, it has over 1,000 Hindi Skills, including Audible Suno, Ramayan Katha, Devotional Stories by Hungama, Shilpa Shetty Yoga, Jungle Safari, Kabir's Dohe, Rekhta, Hindi Jokes and so on. 
&nbsp;

Amazon is extending the feature of ‘Hindi language’ support for Alexa voice assistant. Amazon Alexa is easily available on Echo Dot, Echo Plus and more from where it can be used to gain information and entertainment of various genres.

Amazon is extending the feature of ‘Hindi language’ support for Alexa voice assistant. Amazon Alexa is easily available on Echo Dot, Echo Plus and more from where it can be used to gain information and entertainment of various genres. Amazon India's smart assistant Alexa completed one year of its existence, and will now available be on both Android and iOS smartphones in the country from Monday. The customers can now interact with Alexa in Hindi using the Alexa app on their mobile devices. Alexa in Hindi can be experienced on the entire Amazon Echo range of smart speakers, Alexa built-in devices by other brands, the company said. Alexa can now understand 50 different ways to play a particular song in Hindi. Amazon has also added six new Alexa original songs and poems, along with 20 new stories in Hindi. Alexa now has a special message for all users in India. Just ask "Alexa, hamari dosti par poem sunao". The company said that Alexa is now equipped with hundreds of new words from the Hindi vocabulary, and is also able to understand different ways in which customers can ask for the same information. At the launch last year, Amazon had over 500 Hindi skills. Today, it has over 1,000 Hindi Skills, including Audible Suno, Ramayan Katha, Devotional Stories by Hungama, Shilpa Shetty Yoga, Jungle Safari, Kabir's Dohe, Rekhta, Hindi Jokes and so on.

Alexa in Hindi turns one; now available on smartphones in India

Though the tech giant Amazon, after much pressure, admitted that conversations recorded by virtual assistant Alexa and transcribed by humans were to check for accuracy and the information is made anonymous beforehand, Robert Frederick revealed that he always turns off his Alexa smart speaker during personal and particularly sensitive conversations.

Though the tech giant Amazon, after much pressure, admitted that conversations recorded by virtual assistant Alexa and transcribed by humans were to check for accuracy and the information is made anonymous beforehand, Robert Frederick revealed that he always turns off his Alexa smart speaker during personal and particularly sensitive conversations. Robert Frederick, a former manager at Amazon Web Services stated in an interview with BBC Panorama that 'whoever owns, collects the data, if you have access to it, and rights to data, then you are king. It's all about the data. Everything,' Amazon has responded to the backlash from this laundering with an opt-out of annotation, affording customers the ability to delete recordings they do not want on the system. Amazon Senior VP for Devices and Services Dave Limp issued a statement guaranteeing that recordings that are kept allow the system to recognise the user's voice easily over time. Ring doorbells from Amazon have also been criticized for the way they utilise data, particularly in supplying video evidence to law enforcement. [ Amazon's Alexa smart speaker (L); Amazon Ring's doorbell cameras (R) (Courtesy: AFP) ] Having spent $840 million to buy the manufacturer, Amazon defended the product by saying that the doorbells "make it convenient to speak to and see whoever is at your front door." Police forces in the US and the UK have been beneficiaries of generous donations of the Amazon Ring doorbells, including Suffolk Constabulary who were given 1,000 units. Ring cameras in the US are being used by Amazon to create digital neighbourhood watch schemes with the help of an app called "Neighbours" where residents can share footage from the cameras. Access to the app's data has also been granted to more than 900 police forces, with permission from residents to have access to camera locations and footage. Dave Limp stated that this was not a marketing ploy to exhibit the product as a surveillance device, but an effort to make the lives of Amazon's customers safer. Also Read: Amazon's slow climate action: Defying company policy, over 300 employees speak out Concerns have been raised by the Government's Surveillance Camera Commissioner for England and Wales, Tony Porter. Responding to BBC Panorama, Porter warned that the introduction of Amazon's Neighbors app to the UK would "change from being community reassurance to a state form of surveillance." "This lays a foundation for a network that quite rightly and properly causes concerns for people that don't want to live in a society that is enmeshed in surveillance," he added. "We could end up in a surveillance state and I don't know anybody that wants to live in a surveillance state," said Porter.

Former Amazon executive says he turns off Alexa when he needs privacy

&nbsp;Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday said actor Samuel L&nbsp;Jackson and other celebrities will voice speech for the company's virtual assistant Alexa, while the voice aid will also be built into a new wearable line of earbuds, eyeglasses and a ring.

The news, along with announcements of a new range of voice-controlled Echo speakers, a multilingual mode for Alexa and an additional privacy feature for deleting voice recordings regularly, underscores the investment the world's largest online retailer is putting into voice-controlled computing, a new area of technology in which it is competing against Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google Assistant and Apple Inc's&nbsp;Siri.

Amazon's celebrity voice feature will cost $0.99, Senior Vice President David Limp said at an event in Seattle. Jackson's is the only celebrity voice Amazon has disclosed so far.

In a new push, the company introduced a lineup of wearables, including the Echo Frames, eyeglasses that allow customers to communicate with Alexa as they walk around.

Limp said the frames are designed so that only those wearing them can hear Alexa talk. They do not include a visual display, distinguishing them from Google Glass, which is marketed toward enterprise customers.

The new "Echo Buds" come with noise reduction technology from Bose, Limp said.

Since Amazon announced its first Echo speaker in 2014, shoppers have purchased more than 100 million devices that come with Alexa, including microwaves, vacuum cleaners and even cars.

That has given the company the biggest market share for voice speakers among its rivals, according to research firm eMarketer.

Yet customers have been slow to adopt the growing range of tasks that Alexa can perform, often sticking to basic hands-free functions like directing the assistant to play music, set cooking timers or report the weather.

That may have underscored Amazon's calculus for courting celebrities to encourage users to turn to Alexa for a wider range of interactions.

The company on Wednesday also announced a deal with the Food Network television channel under which users of its Echo Show device, which includes a screen display, can tune in to celebrity chef Bobby Flay for inspiration on what to cook.

"I can get to be in basically any kitchen in the world, anywhere in the world," Flay said in a live promotional demo for the partnership.

Amazon announced an update to its Echo Show, as well as new devices like the Echo Studio, Echo Glow and the Echo Flex.

Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday said actor Samuel L Jackson and other celebrities will voice speech for the company's virtual assistant Alexa, while the voice aid will also be built into a new wearable line of earbuds, eyeglasses and a ring.

Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday said actor Samuel L Jackson and other celebrities will voice speech for the company's virtual assistant Alexa, while the voice aid will also be built into a new wearable line of earbuds, eyeglasses and a ring. The news, along with announcements of a new range of voice-controlled Echo speakers, a multilingual mode for Alexa and an additional privacy feature for deleting voice recordings regularly, underscores the investment the world's largest online retailer is putting into voice-controlled computing, a new area of technology in which it is competing against Alphabet Inc's Google Assistant and Apple Inc's Siri. Amazon's celebrity voice feature will cost $0.99, Senior Vice President David Limp said at an event in Seattle. Jackson's is the only celebrity voice Amazon has disclosed so far. In a new push, the company introduced a lineup of wearables, including the Echo Frames, eyeglasses that allow customers to communicate with Alexa as they walk around. Limp said the frames are designed so that only those wearing them can hear Alexa talk. They do not include a visual display, distinguishing them from Google Glass, which is marketed toward enterprise customers. The new "Echo Buds" come with noise reduction technology from Bose, Limp said. Since Amazon announced its first Echo speaker in 2014, shoppers have purchased more than 100 million devices that come with Alexa, including microwaves, vacuum cleaners and even cars. That has given the company the biggest market share for voice speakers among its rivals, according to research firm eMarketer. Yet customers have been slow to adopt the growing range of tasks that Alexa can perform, often sticking to basic hands-free functions like directing the assistant to play music, set cooking timers or report the weather. That may have underscored Amazon's calculus for courting celebrities to encourage users to turn to Alexa for a wider range of interactions. The company on Wednesday also announced a deal with the Food Network television channel under which users of its Echo Show device, which includes a screen display, can tune in to celebrity chef Bobby Flay for inspiration on what to cook. "I can get to be in basically any kitchen in the world, anywhere in the world," Flay said in a live promotional demo for the partnership. Amazon announced an update to its Echo Show, as well as new devices like the Echo Studio, Echo Glow and the Echo Flex.

Amazon brings Samuel L Jackson's voice to Alexa and announces voice-controlled glasses

Amazon is giving its voice-enabled Echo speaker a touch screen and video-calling capabilities as it competes with Google&#39;s efforts at bringing &quot;smarts&quot; to the home.

The 7-inch screen on the new Echo Show enables the speaker to supplement voice responses with visuals and other information displays, similar to the Echo-like features offered on the Fire tablets and Fire TV streaming devices.

That could mean extended weather forecasts, not just current conditions, or music lyrics to go with the song you&#39;re listening to. You can also call up cooking tutorials on YouTube, hands-free, while making dinner in the kitchen. You&#39;ll also be able to make hands-free video calls with other Echo Show devices or the Alexa app for iPhones, iPads and Android devices.

The Echo and Echo Dot lack screens and cameras, so calls will be limited to audio. Video and audio calls will be free. Amazon says it&#39;s bringing calling and messaging features to its existing Echo and Echo Dot devices and the Alexa app starting today. The Echo Tap is not getting calling features, however.

The new Echo Show goes on sale on June 28 for $230. The main Echo device is currently on sale for $150, while a smaller Echo Dot goes for $50.
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The market for voice-assisted speakers is small, but growing. The research firm eMarketer expects usage of such speakers to more than double this year, with nearly 36 million Americans using such a device at least once a month by year&#39;s end. Amazon&#39;s Echo is expected to continue its dominance, with a share of nearly 71 per cent, though eMarketer expects Google&#39;s Home speaker to cut into that share in the coming years.

A few weeks ago, Google Home got the ability to recognize individuals within a family by voice, allowing for more precise recommendations and ad targeting. So far, Amazon doesn&#39;t have a comparable voice-recognition feature.

To retain its dominance, Amazon has introduced other features in a variety of Echo models. Two weeks ago, Amazon unveiled Echo Look, an Echo device with a camera to offer fashion advice. The screen and video calling also help Amazon set the Echo apart from Google Home.

Both devices will get a new rival this fall: on Monday, Microsoft and Samsung&#39;s Harman business teased an upcoming speaker, called Invoke, powered by Microsoft&#39;s Cortana digital assistant.

(PTI)

The 7-inch screen on the Echo Show enables users to supplement voice responses with visuals and other information displays

Amazon is giving its voice-enabled Echo speaker a touch screen and video-calling capabilities as it competes with Google's efforts at bringing "smarts" to the home. The 7-inch screen on the new Echo Show enables the speaker to supplement voice responses with visuals and other information displays, similar to the Echo-like features offered on the Fire tablets and Fire TV streaming devices. That could mean extended weather forecasts, not just current conditions, or music lyrics to go with the song you're listening to. You can also call up cooking tutorials on YouTube, hands-free, while making dinner in the kitchen. You'll also be able to make hands-free video calls with other Echo Show devices or the Alexa app for iPhones, iPads and Android devices. The Echo and Echo Dot lack screens and cameras, so calls will be limited to audio. Video and audio calls will be free. Amazon says it's bringing calling and messaging features to its existing Echo and Echo Dot devices and the Alexa app starting today. The Echo Tap is not getting calling features, however. The new Echo Show goes on sale on June 28 for $230. The main Echo device is currently on sale for $150, while a smaller Echo Dot goes for $50. The market for voice-assisted speakers is small, but growing. The research firm eMarketer expects usage of such speakers to more than double this year, with nearly 36 million Americans using such a device at least once a month by year's end. Amazon's Echo is expected to continue its dominance, with a share of nearly 71 per cent, though eMarketer expects Google's Home speaker to cut into that share in the coming years. A few weeks ago, Google Home got the ability to recognize individuals within a family by voice, allowing for more precise recommendations and ad targeting. So far, Amazon doesn't have a comparable voice-recognition feature. To retain its dominance, Amazon has introduced other features in a variety of Echo models. Two weeks ago, Amazon unveiled Echo Look, an Echo device with a camera to offer fashion advice. The screen and video calling also help Amazon set the Echo apart from Google Home. Both devices will get a new rival this fall: on Monday, Microsoft and Samsung's Harman business teased an upcoming speaker, called Invoke, powered by Microsoft's Cortana digital assistant. (PTI)

Amazon launches Echo Show with touchscreen and video-calling features

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