Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

highplainsdem

(60,097 posts)
Sun Jan 11, 2026, 02:30 PM 5 hrs ago

AI companies trying to shift people from screens to audio commands is about control of you, not just convenience for you

Is audio-first AI really what's best for consumers?

Our Equity podcast digs into OpenAI and other companies’s rumored shift toward screen-free AI experiences here: https://tcrn.ch/4pqfThP

TechCrunch (@techcrunch.com) 2026-01-11T18:15:08.345913443Z
5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
AI companies trying to shift people from screens to audio commands is about control of you, not just convenience for you (Original Post) highplainsdem 5 hrs ago OP
The AI companies are also desperately trying to expand their market. Hugin 4 hrs ago #1
Agree that voice commands could expand the market. Curious about how it obfuscates hallucinations. Isn't highplainsdem 4 hrs ago #2
I haven't seen any... Hugin 4 hrs ago #4
Audio commands imply the AI is listening to you... haele 4 hrs ago #3
Nothing gets my hackles up like a corporation proclaiming the "convenience" of new misfeatures that I didn't ask for ... eppur_se_muova 3 hrs ago #5

Hugin

(37,452 posts)
1. The AI companies are also desperately trying to expand their market.
Sun Jan 11, 2026, 02:58 PM
4 hrs ago

Few will take the time to type in prompts, many potentially could verbalize the prompts. It also obfuscates the hallucinations.

highplainsdem

(60,097 posts)
2. Agree that voice commands could expand the market. Curious about how it obfuscates hallucinations. Isn't
Sun Jan 11, 2026, 03:13 PM
4 hrs ago

there any record of voice commands and AI responses?

Hugin

(37,452 posts)
4. I haven't seen any...
Sun Jan 11, 2026, 03:24 PM
4 hrs ago

Typically the voice interpretation generative AI is a separate entity and interface from a text AI. It is sometimes scrolled on a screen like captions. I doubt many would bother with that only repeating the prompt or blowing it off.

If one is listening there are plenty of

The delays between prompt and reply can also be very long in systems which allow large blocks for each interaction. Having a natural sounding “conversation” with an AI is sensitive to timing. They also in my experience become “confused” when interacting in group conversations.

haele

(15,093 posts)
3. Audio commands imply the AI is listening to you...
Sun Jan 11, 2026, 03:22 PM
4 hrs ago

And that's why I like to limit any device to prompts, generally typed.
Not much I can do with the family Echo units, but I'm constantly having my spouse check his accounts to try to lock it to only go into listen mode with the prompt word instead of constant listen.
That's the rub.
F you Jeff Bezos

eppur_se_muova

(41,016 posts)
5. Nothing gets my hackles up like a corporation proclaiming the "convenience" of new misfeatures that I didn't ask for ...
Sun Jan 11, 2026, 04:00 PM
3 hrs ago

don't want, and get absolutely no benefit from, and wouldn't use if I had any choice in the matter. Plus the word is usually followed by either "charge" or "fee".

I've long given up on the idea that they're actually concerned about anything being "convenient" for the customers. It's all about making more profits with fewer and fewer lower-paid employees, with zero being the ultimate goal.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»AI companies trying to sh...