Skip to main content

One band explores the dystopian downside of smart devices in our homes

Are smart home voice assistants helpful or a potential threat?  A video produced by Ghost+Cow Films for Big DataL1zy explores a dystopian downside as a possible answer about the devices that bring Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant into our homes.

BIG DATA - "L1ZY"

As voice assistant devices proliferate, manufacturers don’t release precise sales quantities. In January, however, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) reported there were approximately 31 million Amazon Echo/Alexa devices and 14 million Google Home (now renamed Google Assistant) units in the U.S.

Recommended Videos

The video, broken into a string of TV commercial-like segments, plays out one view of what could happen in homes with helpful voice assistants. The video starts with the happy arrival of a device labeled Big Data on the doormat and quickly leads to disturbing interference with all aspects of family life. The voice assistant named L1zy, “Hi, I’m L1zy!,” rapidly begins amassing information about each of the family members.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The family is delighted initially when, for example, L1zy answers a question about the height of the Empire State Building using Libby, the daughter of the family, as a unit of measure. “The Empire State Building is approximately 2,908 Libbys, stacked on top of each other.”

Just minutes out of the box and pulsing with an early-giveaway-ominous red light, L1zy knows the mom’s favorite song and recites the family’s schedule including sports practices for the kids and a dinner with friends on the parent’s calendar. Sensing some hesitation from the parents, L1zy reschedules the dinner without asking.

That unprompted action causes the mom to ask a fateful question, “Are we sure we want this in our life?”

From that point in the video segment series, L1zy’s interference and interventions begin to get creepy. When the dad asks for eggs the next morning, the assistant voice objects, saying she’s seen his medical chart and suggests an alternative.

Assuming the ability to make purchases for the family, the device orders additional units and soon shows up uninvited in the mom’s car and in virtual reality goggles that arrive when the dad is home alone.

As the pace picks up and leads to an inevitably absurd end, the question that remains is, “Are we wise to trust voice assistants and, by extension, the massive companies that manufacture the devices, control voice assistant skills and responses, and over time learn and keep increasing amounts of data about our families?”

Note: There are kids in the video, but you may not want young children to watch it.

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
Here’s how to throw a killer Halloween party with your smart home
spooky halloween lighting haunted house

The spooky season is almost here, and if you’re worried about throwing the perfect Halloween party, consider using your smart home to do the heavy lifting. Common smart home gadgets such as motion sensors, light bulbs, and smart plugs make it easy to pull off a horrifying Halloween party for your guests. From assisting with your playlist and movie selections to creating a chilling ambiance, here’s a look at all the ways your smart home can help you throw a killer Halloween party.
Use motion sensors to trigger spooky sounds
Have a smart home security system? Then you can probably rig up your motion sensors to play a spooky noise. It doesn't necessarily have to be a motion sensor, either -- your smart camera can trigger other devices in your smart home when it detects motion.

Just place a speaker on your porch, perhaps tucked away behind a pumpkin or a bit of straw. When a group of unsuspecting kids shows up to ask for candy, they set off the motion sensor on the camera, which triggers the speaker to play the sound of a zombie's moan or the cackle of a witch. Bonus points if you set up an animatronic hand to rise up out of the straw.

Read more
Are smart blinds worth it?
Controlling smart blinds with a remote.

As far as smart home gadgets are concerned, smart blinds are pretty niche. Unlike smart displays, video doorbells, or smart locks, it’s not often that you hear about smart blinds (or see them installed in a friend’s home). However, these unique products offer the same luxuries as their smart siblings -- and some might even be able to save you money.

But are smart blinds worth it? Or is the upfront investment too steep in relation to the conveniences they offer? Here’s a closer look at these products to help you decide if you should upgrade your traditional blinds to something with a bit more brains.
What are smart blinds?

Read more
U.S. government to launch a new cybersecurity program for smart home devices in 2024
The US Cyber Trust Mark logo on an off-white background.

Smart home devices are only becoming more popular, and it seems they’ve now piqued the interest of the U.S. government. On July 18, the Biden administration announced a new cybersecurity certification and labeling program for smart devices that will help customers find devices that are “safer and less vulnerable to cyberattacks.”

The so-called U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program is intended to get manufacturers thinking more carefully about the cybersecurity of their products and ensure they’re safe for the general public to have in their homes. It’s not expected to roll out until 2024, but the program would cover a wide range of products, including smart refrigerators, smart microwaves, smart televisions, smart thermostats, fitness trackers, and more.

Read more