Alexa now gives UK users N.H.S. Medical advice



[ad_1]

Amazon also denied the accusations Wednesday.

The company insisted that it did not establish health profiles, that no health information would be used to sell merchandise or make product recommendations, and that none of this information would be shared with third parties.

"Customer trust is of the utmost importance and Amazon takes privacy seriously," Alexa spokesperson Gemma Cook said Wednesday, adding that customers can also control their voice history by reviewing or deleting records. .

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, President of the Royal College of General Practitioners, agreed that the system could allow more doctor appointments "for the patients who need it the most".

But she said that N.H.S. Alexa's advice could "create a" digital divide "" with better service available to those who could afford a smart speaker. The cheapest Echo device currently costs just under 25 pounds, about $ 31, in Britain.

Rachel Coldicutt, general manager of Doteveryone, a research institute that advocates for responsible technology, said the system "gives Amazon an opportunity to better understand people's diseases, behaviors and problems," and could provide the company with data that will help start a health care business or pharmacy.

Amazon bought PillPack, an online pharmacy, last year.

But Ms. Coldicutt said she was less worried about the consequences of Alexa's offer on privacy protection, N.H.S. the "comparative advantage it confers on Amazon".

"If an older person chooses between smart speakers, they will be more likely to receive an echo," she added.

[ad_2]

Source link