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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

#111

Post by lordnacho »

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

The issue might be that growth used to be a pretty good proxy for wellbeing, but once the measure was established it became the target. Some dude's law, escapes my mind.

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

#112

Post by [deleted] »

Magodo wrote: post #66
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…

> I don't think the value proposition of an always-on device connected to a vast advertising network is very high to begin with This is more of a hacker perspective though. All my non technical friends have been seduced by offers of either Alexa or Google Home. Because in my region, they are commonly sold at a huge price discount with almost any medium to large purchase. EX: Buy a laptop - Google Home at 50% off > If…

[deleted]

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

#113

Post by lordnacho »

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…

Problem is there's a finer line between persuasion and coercion than people appreciate. Use guys with guns to sell white powder and you're a bad guy. Place chocolate at kid height at checkout and you're a business guru.

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

#114

Post by onion2k »

helsinkiandrew wrote: post #104

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…

This isn't technically subliminal advertising though. Subliminal ads are just brief flashes that you're unaware of consciously, but still register on a subconscious level. If the consumer was awake presumably they'd be acutely aware of an advert playing because they'd hear it. The 'trick' is that the ad is played at when the person is asleep - other than that it's a normal (although presumably quiet) advert. It seems current laws would stop that.

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

#115

Post by BeFlatXIII »

liminalsunset wrote: post #47
fluential wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can do background play in Safari iOS by switching to desktop mode, press play, lock the phone and then click again to play from lock screen / outside safari. Alternatively friendly does also background play.

This is tangentially related, but Google has been blocking iOS native PiP mode on YouTube on iPhones on the website. Here's a bookmarklet (you must create and edit an existing bookmark with the contents below, else you will get an error) that will pop out a YouTube video on iOS into a PiP video when run. Simply click on the Bookmarks while on the YouTube page and select it. This allows you to play the videos in the b…

How does Google manage to block iOS PiP and why doesn’t Apple write some workaround in its Safari engine?

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

#116

Post by tgv »

aloisdg wrote: post #103
aerique wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"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?

Partij voor de Dieren. It's a simplistic slogan, probably not meant to be taken too seriously.

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

#117

Post by streamofdigits »

lordnacho wrote: post #111
aerique wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

The issue might be that growth used to be a pretty good proxy for wellbeing, but once the measure was established it became the target. Some dude's law, escapes my mind.

Goodhart's law

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

#118

Post by diydsp »

enigami wrote: post #100
foxes wrote: post #67

Horrific. If anyone on HN uses or works with adtech you should think about the consequences of what you are building. It's only ever gotten worse. You have a social obligation to stop.

Aren't we all part of some problem one way or the other. You could make the same point to a Programmer in the Banking Industry who is unaware that he is literally creating a predatory interest calculation for a debt scheme by writing code.

Our contributions are not equal-weighted. We can pivot away from what we discover doesn't express our personal values.

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

#119

Post by tremon »

pas wrote: post #109
aerique wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"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 (car…

"When a measure becomes a goal, it seizes to be a good measure."

But as you say, the problem isn't economic growth in itself, but the fact that our entire (debt-based) economy is predicated on eternal growth. Eventually, every population reaches a steady-state equilibrium with its environment (even an artificial environment such as "the economy"). The hyper-focus on economic growth and our dependence on it causes all kinds of sustainability problems, whether it's ecosystem diversity, climate change, or any similar long-term problems.

As long as we don't have a sustainable economic system, the other problems can't be solved.

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

#120

Post by helsinkiandrew »

onion2k wrote: post #114
helsinkiandrew wrote: post #104

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…

This isn't technically subliminal advertising though. Subliminal ads are just brief flashes that you're unaware of consciously, but still register on a subconscious level. If the consumer was awake presumably they'd be acutely aware of an advert playing because they'd hear it. The 'trick' is that the ad is played at when the person is asleep - other than that it's a normal (although presumably quiet) advert. It seems…

subliminal ads are anything that your´ perceive (hear/see) but are not conscious of, hearing adverts while you are asleep - when you are not conscious are the same.

Subliminal: 1. inadequate to produce a sensation or a perception. 2 : existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness

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