‘Big Sister’ AI Smart Speakers Could Stop Domestic Violence in Real Time: Research

Smart speakers could be crucial to stopping domestic violence by detecting screams and shouts, and providing instant real-time information about what’s happening in homes, according to new research. One in four Australian homes have a smart speaker with artificial intelligence (AI), like Amazon Echo, Apple Homepod, or Google Nest. Monash University Researcher Robert Sparrow noted Google engineers are considering a future where smart speakers, equipped with infrared detectors, microphones, and cameras, can gather detailed information about a home and use it to predict domestic violence. “Gunshots, screams, shouting, crying, crashing and thumping noises, or particular combinations thereof, might be taken to indicate that a violent incident is in progress,” he said. ...