Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, December 14 (Xinhua)-- Smart speakers can help people who live alone feel less lonely and make some people with disabilities feel more independent, according to a new study by the Communications Authority (Ofcom).

CTOnews.com learned that the survey selected 100 smart speaker users and 15 non-smart speaker users and asked them to use smart speakers for testing. Some testers describe smart speakers as being like a partner and say they like to be able to talk to it. Some disabled testers say this has had a significant impact on their lives, giving them greater independence, helping them manage, and even improve their conditions and abilities.

One of the testers said: "I will be more independent with the smart speaker, and my paramedics don't have to get up every five minutes to help. Like tonight, I can directly ask the smart speaker to turn on the light. A few years ago, before I had this device, I had to ask people to do something for me manually."

The latest data from Ofcom show that the ownership rate of smart speakers almost doubled during the outbreak, from 22 per cent of households in 2020 to 39 per cent at the beginning of this year.

Study participants said they mainly used smart speakers to listen to music, radio, news and weather. The latest industry data show that 13% of the radio listening time is now done through smart speakers. It is generally believed that they listen more than before, and that their smart speakers enable them to listen to a wider range of radio stations.

Ofcom's research also shows that 27% of smart speaker owners now get news from their devices. However, most people say they use smart speakers to get instant headlines, but still use TV, newspapers or the Internet to get more in-depth news.

The preference for customized content provided by smart speakers also varies from person to person, with some saying it is convenient, while others find it disturbing. People who don't have smart speakers say they don't understand this or see it as a luxury rather than a necessity. Some people are worried about information eavesdropping, and although sometimes no wake-up words are spoken, it is disturbing for smart speakers to play content automatically. There are also concerns about the possibility of criminals using smart speakers to steal data, bank information or identities through hacking, saying they have heard of examples of other devices such as baby monitors and routers being hacked.

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