Someone at Google, some bright spark, thought it would be a good idea to make your phone listen to you all of the time.

@antdaviscyber

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Why it worked

The video taps into a universal fear regarding privacy and surveillance, using a 'myth-busting' tone to present a specific, alarming piece of tech news that feels relevant to every smartphone user.

Summary

The creator discusses a new, unreleased Google feature called Audio Memory that records and transcribes ambient audio on Pixel phones. He argues that while the feature is opt-in and local, it represents a concerning shift in how our devices constantly monitor and remember our daily lives.

Structure

1Introduction to the Audio Memory feature
2Explanation of how the feature works in the background
3Comparison to existing AI recording gadgets
4Critique of user consent and permission screens
5Reflection on the normalization of invasive tech
6Closing warning about the future of device monitoring

On-screen text

SOMEONE AT GOOGLE, SOME BRIGHT SPARK THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE YOUR PHONE LISTEN TO YOU ALL OF THE TIME AND BEFORE YOU SAY I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT GOOGLE ASSISTANT THIS IS SOMETHING CALLED AUDIO MEMORY 9 TO 5 GOOGLE FOUND IT THIS WEEK BURIED INSIDE A PIXEL APP UPDATE IT RUNS IN THE BACKGROUND ALL DAY AND KEEPS TRACK OF EVERYTHING YOU HEAR YOUR CONVERSATIONS GET TRANSCRIBED THE MUSIC AROUND YOU GETS LOGGED SONGS PLAYING IN OTHER APPS GET SAVED AND IT ALL GOES INTO A KIND OF TIMELINE SO YOU CAN SCROLL BACK THROUGH YOUR DAY AND SEE WHAT YOU HEARD AND WHEN THINK OF THOSE LITTLE AI CLIP ON GADGETS THAT RECORD YOUR MEETINGS AND TURN THEM INTO NOTES THIS IS THE SAME IDEA EXCEPT IT'S NOT A GADGET YOU BOUGHT IT'S JUST YOUR PHONE DOING IT IN THE BACKGROUND GOOGLE ASSISTANT WAITS FOR YOU TO SPEAK THIS DOESN'T NOW I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING MY PHONE ALREADY LISTENS TO ME I TALKED ABOUT TRAINERS ONCE AND NOW ALL I'M SEEING IS ADVERTS FOR TRAINERS WE'VE ALL SAID IT IT'S NEVER ACTUALLY BEEN PROVEN THOUGH IT'S A MYTH THIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THIS IS THERE IT'S A REAL FEATURE WITH A REAL NAME THE GOOGLE IS ACTUALLY BUILDING SO WHAT HAVE GOOGLE SAID ABOUT IT WELL EVERYTHING STAYS ON THE PHONE NOTHING GETS SENT TO THEIR SERVERS AND IT RUNS IN A LOCKED OFF PART OF THE PHONE THAT EVEN GOOGLE CAN'T GET INTO AND IT'S OPTED IN YOU HAVE TO SWITCH IT ON WHICH SOUNDS FINE RIGHT WELL HERE'S MY PROBLEM WITH THAT NOBODY READS WHAT THEY TAP ACCEPT ON YOU SET UP A NEW PHONE YOU BASH THROUGH 15 DIFFERENT PERMISSION SCREENS TO GET TO YOUR APPS AND YOU AGREE TO ALL OF IT YOU'RE NOT READING IT NOBODY IS SO NOW YOUR PHONE IS TRANSCRIBING YOUR CONVERSATIONS AND LOCKING YOUR WHOLE DAY IN THE BACKGROUND AND YOU'VE GOT NO IDEA NOT BECAUSE IT WAS HIDDEN BUT BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T READ IT AND THINK ABOUT THIS JUST A FEW YEARS AGO A PHONE THAT RECORDS AND TRANSCRIBES EVERYTHING YOU SAY WOULD HAVE CAUSED UPROAR BUT NOW IT'S A QUIET LITTLE UPDATE MOST PEOPLE HAVE SCROLLED STRAIGHT PAST AND THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BOTHER US MORE THAN IT DOES IT'S NOT EVEN OUT YET BUT THIS IS WHERE IT'S GOING OUR PHONES AREN'T JUST LISTENING ANYMORE THEY'RE REMEMBERING THE TECH MIGHT BE PRIVATE BUT THE WAY WE USE IT PROBABLY WON'T BE WATCH THIS SPACE

Original caption

Google is building a feature called Audio Memory that listens to everything around you all day long. It’s not Google Assistant. It doesn’t wait to be triggered. It just runs. On-device only, never sent to Google, opt-in. But when did your phone listening to you constantly become a feature we just accept? #google #pixel #privacy #cybersecurity #android

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Transcript

Someone at Google, some bright spark, thought it would be a good idea to make your phone listen to you all of the time. And before you say it, I'm not talking about Google Assistant. This is something called Audio Memory. 9 to 5 Google found it this week buried inside a Pixel app update. It runs in the background all day and keeps track of everything you hear. Your conversations get transcribed, the music around you gets logged, songs playing in other apps get saved. And it all goes into a kind of timeline so you can scroll back through your day and see what you heard and when. Think of those little AI clip-on gadgets that record your meetings and turn them into notes. This is the same idea, except it's not a gadget you bought, it's just your phone doing it in the background. Google Assistant waits for you to speak, this doesn't. Now I know what you're thinking, my phone already listens to me. I talked about trainers once and now all I'm seeing is adverts for trainers. We've all said it. It's never actually been proven though. It's a myth. This is different because this is there. It's a real feature with a real name that Google is actually building. So what have Google said about it? Well, everything stays on the phone, nothing gets sent to their servers and it runs in a locked off part of the phone that even Google can't get into and it's opted in. You have to switch it on, which sounds fine, right? Well, here's my problem with that. Nobody reads what they tap accept on. You set up a new phone, you bash through 15 different permission screens to get to your apps, and you agree to all of it. You're not reading it. Nobody is. So now your phone is transcribing your conversations and locking your whole day in the background, and you've got no idea. Not because it was hidden, but because you didn't read it. And think about this. Just a few years ago, a phone that records and transcribes everything you say would have caused uproar. But now, it's a quiet little update. Most people have scrolled straight past. And that should probably bother us more than it does. It's not even out yet. But this is where it's going. Our phones aren't just listening anymore. They're remembering. The tech might be private, but the way we use it probably won't be. Watch this space.