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Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

sciencemag.org

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Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#101

Post by bambax »

filchermcurr wrote: post #59

On the bright side, smart speakers aren't even a little bit essential, so it's easy enough to just not buy them if this starts happening. I don't think the value proposition of an always-on device connected to a vast advertising network is very high to begin with. Throw in subliminal advertising and you'd have to be very... dedicated... to want such a device. If it succeeds even a little, though, they'll bake it into…

> Maybe somebody will jump in with pod beds that hide us from our devices at night. (...) Smart enough to...

Smart enough to sell access to the highest bidder. I will have a normal bed in a normal bedroom with nothing plugged in while I sleep, thanks.

Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#102

Post by rubatuga »

bartread wrote: post #96
filchermcurr wrote: post #59

On the bright side, smart speakers aren't even a little bit essential, so it's easy enough to just not buy them if this starts happening. I don't think the value proposition of an always-on device connected to a vast advertising network is very high to begin with. Throw in subliminal advertising and you'd have to be very... dedicated... to want such a device. If it succeeds even a little, though, they'll bake it into…

> If it succeeds even a little, though, they'll bake it into our TVs and phones that are plugged in at night. Those are much harder for people to give up. Well, yeah, but having a TV in your bedroom isn't necessarily the best idea for quality sleep anyway so get rid of that. Then you can always plug your phone in to charge somewhere else in the house, or stick it inside a Faraday box[0] with just enough of a hole to…

Lmfao same here on that iOS bug!

Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#103

Post by aloisdg »

aerique wrote: post #97
streamofdigits wrote: post #90

We have gotten to the point where the simple (and arguably essential) task of individuals learning about what the economy is producing is degenerating into a societal gangrene. No, this is not all the handywork of Zuck and the "don't be evil" company. All the conditions for their "success" have been engineered in the previous decades of the adoption and scaling of TV tech: The captive population of couch potato, over…

"Economic growth is not the solution: it is the problem." -- one single political party in the Netherlands that does not get enough votes

Which one?

Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#104

Post by helsinkiandrew »

This sounds like a click bait article intended to make people start complaining about 'big advertising' - with no real substance.

Yes subliminal suggestion works and smart speakers could be used to do it but subliminal advertising is illegal in most of the world (in the UK since the 1950s) and although there isn't direct legislation in the US it is effectively banned by precedent.

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/laws-subliminal-marketing-69...

Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#105

Post by streamofdigits »

aerique wrote: post #97
streamofdigits wrote: post #90

We have gotten to the point where the simple (and arguably essential) task of individuals learning about what the economy is producing is degenerating into a societal gangrene. No, this is not all the handywork of Zuck and the "don't be evil" company. All the conditions for their "success" have been engineered in the previous decades of the adoption and scaling of TV tech: The captive population of couch potato, over…

"Economic growth is not the solution: it is the problem." -- one single political party in the Netherlands that does not get enough votes

its the defining issue of our times and there is some of nuance: First, there is room (imho) for conventional growth in many parts of the world. Its insane that people go starving, without shelter or water while others throw away truckloads of food - because of "xyz". Then there is the branch of "personal growth" that is decoupled from material consumption. Getting every functioning brain to fully develop its faculties through education quickly translates into economic growth. I suspect that if we address these two opportunities the "materialist growth imperative" will cease being relevant

Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#106

Post by Rastonbury »

sydthrowaway wrote: post #13

Has anyone noticed 2-3 ads per YouTube video (especially midstream)? It’s getting ridiculous. There’s got to be a stop to this madness.

If watching on desktop get adblock/unlock origin. I recall Google has a setting to stop personalised ads or clearing my preferences or profile or something, anecdotally I feel I see less ads on my TV. I also try to avoid watching YouTube on my TV, dns level ad blocking doesn't work

Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#107

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

johnchristopher wrote: post #43
Red_Tarsius wrote: post #17

They are kind of doing it already e.g. I hate when ads exploit classical music for trivial purposes. Whenever I hear Libiamo ne' lieti calici now my mind instantly fills with pizza ads. And once an association is made, it doesn't go away. Ads attach themselves to positive memories like parasites. Whenever you think back to your first kiss, a nice family moment, a cherished memory of going out with friends – here they…

This is something that I had been venting about for years to anybody I met. There's that (Coca-Cola I think) ad that ends up with teenagers watching the sunrise after a party night, they sit on a roof in what I remember could be suburban California. The ad was in the style of All I need from Air. These are very delicate and precious moments when you are a teenager. But now it's Coca-cola telling people how to feel. F…

Right.

But what's in the Coke?

Whisked or rum?

Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#108

Post by skummetmaelk »

filchermcurr wrote: post #59

On the bright side, smart speakers aren't even a little bit essential, so it's easy enough to just not buy them if this starts happening. I don't think the value proposition of an always-on device connected to a vast advertising network is very high to begin with. Throw in subliminal advertising and you'd have to be very... dedicated... to want such a device. If it succeeds even a little, though, they'll bake it into…

You underestimate what people will sacrifice in order to be able to say "Alexa, what's the weather like today" rather than pull out their phone and open the weather app which is probably faster to do anyway.

"But what if I have my hands full with stuff" they'll say. Well, will you really be able to remember what Alexa says about the weather if you're busy doing other stuff anyway?

All everyone can ever point out as advantages of smart speakers are these tiny, minuscule, increases in convenience. Is it really worth building a gargantuan ad-serving data hoarding surveillance network to gain those small conveniences?

Screw that stuff. My minor convenience is more important than the consequences of the surveillance economy!

Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#109

Post by pas »

aerique wrote: post #97
streamofdigits wrote: post #90

We have gotten to the point where the simple (and arguably essential) task of individuals learning about what the economy is producing is degenerating into a societal gangrene. No, this is not all the handywork of Zuck and the "don't be evil" company. All the conditions for their "success" have been engineered in the previous decades of the adoption and scaling of TV tech: The captive population of couch potato, over…

"Economic growth is not the solution: it is the problem." -- one single political party in the Netherlands that does not get enough votes

That makes no sense. Every time an economic activity happens that helps people growth happens.

The simple fact that when someone gets a bicycle, car, washing machine, electricity, plumbing, a phone, or whatever they value and if it helps them take better care of their family (or even themselves), that counts as growth.

The problem is unsustainable growth, ecological destruction, etc. Of course effective measures (carbon tax, emissions regulations, consumer protection/advocacy, right to repair, open patents) are needed to ward off mindless "VC funded" enterprising/consumerism/gadgetism and waste.

Re: Researchers fear a scenario in which smart speakers feed sleepers subliminal ads

#110

Post by naoru »

Milner08 wrote: post #31
IvyMike wrote: post #18

Leela : Didn't you have ads in the 21st century? Fry : Well sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio, and in magazines, and movies, and at ball games... and on buses and milk cartons and t-shirts, and bananas and written on the sky. But not in dreams, no siree.

This is exactly what came to mind when I read the title. Now I need to go and watch Futurama again..

Seems like it was a subliminal ad for Futurama then.
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