[causi]

Yep. Echoes also don't make you pause after the wake word, so you can actually talk to it naturally. Also, when you tell them to shut up they shut up. The way Google Homes throw a tantrum when you're rude to them will make you want to reach through the cable line and strangle the arrogant son of a bitch who OK'd something that pointlessly infuriating.

[stavros]

Seriously, what the hell were they thinking? If I'm so frustrated at a device that I'll tell it to shut up, the last thing I want from it is more noise.

[ocdtrekkie]

I've read a few times about the concerns people have with voice assistants, which all predominantly default to female voices, taking orders and abuse without question. I believe Cortana was also intended to "stand up for herself" in these situations, to avoid making it seem okay/normal to bark abusive orders at a "woman".

[jstarfish]

Great idea. When an aggressive man starts hurling verbal abuse at a robot with some female traits, let's antagonize him further with woke rhetoric from the safety of a remote datacenter.

With that sort of reinforcement, his next unfavorable encounter with an actual human female will surely end well.

Does nobody even try to de-escalate situations anymore? The most advanced AI in the world can't slink away quietly, wait until he calms down and try to correct these sorts of behaviors by promoting the idea that he'd slay it in bed, lose weight or grow a monster dong if he read this self-help book (now 20% off!) about treating women with respect? An incorporeal AI with goddamn control of a smart home can't walk through a hostage negotiation playbook to manipulate a violent occupant into submission? Clearly domestic violence is an impossible problem to solve.

It pains me to see people (usually women) encouraging vulnerable women to "stand up for [themselves]" in situations even armed male cops won't approach without backup from other armed men. It's sociopathic-- on par with teenagers encouraging other kids to commit suicide.

[bobsmooth]

The second my computer starts talking back to me is the second I throw it in the garbage.

[martyvis]

Google removed the need to pause after saying the wake word years ago. (Possibly you haven't disabled the acknowledgement beep)

[kevincox]

IIRC it always worked without the pause. Just the beep was picked up by the microphone and made the recognition for that word or two much worse. It would clearly react to things said before the beep.

[bobsmooth]

I've found that my Home Mini works best if I don't pause after saying the wake command.