cover of episode How Should We Feel About Ring?

How Should We Feel About Ring?

2024/10/10

Uncanny Valley | WIRED

AI Deep Dive AI Insights AI Chapters Transcript

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Lauren Goode

技术记者和播客主持人，专注于硅谷的健康优化和生命延长趋势。

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Michael Calore

一名专注于技术和健康优化的记者和播客主持人。

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Paresh Dave

Lauren Goode：Ring摄像头的大规模普及带来了大规模监控的隐忧，而亚马逊作为幕后力量扮演着重要角色。消费者在不知情或未充分了解的情况下，成为了监控网络的一部分。 Paresh Dave：Ring摄像头的新AI搜索功能提高了视频查找效率，但其在识别细微差别方面的能力有限，并且对某些敏感词进行了过滤。此外，Ring未来计划开发基于视频内容的警报和总结功能，以及面向小型企业的订阅计划。 Michael Calore：Ring与执法部门的合作关系曾引发隐私担忧，但新的CEO已经减少了这种合作。同时，Amazon Sidewalk功能的默认启用和缺乏透明度也存在隐私风险。

Deep Dive

Why has Ring become so popular despite privacy concerns?

Ring has grown rapidly due to its video doorbells and security cameras becoming nearly ubiquitous, with over 10 million units installed. The company’s focus on reducing anxiety and its integration with Amazon’s ecosystem have made it a stable and appealing choice for consumers.

What are the new AI-powered search features in Ring cameras?

Ring’s new AI search feature allows users to search through their camera footage for specific moments, such as identifying people, animals, weather events, or actions like running or dancing. It works similarly to searching on YouTube but is limited to Ring’s video library.

What are the limitations of Ring’s AI search feature?

The AI search feature struggles with distinguishing between similar objects or actions, such as mistaking a golden retriever for a blonde woman or failing to differentiate between car models. It also restricts certain search terms deemed harmful or inappropriate.

Why did Ring stop pursuing facial recognition technology?

Ring has not pursued facial recognition due to potential privacy concerns and ethical considerations. However, the company has not ruled out the possibility of implementing it in the future if there is sufficient user demand.

How does Ring’s business relationship with law enforcement work?

Ring previously facilitated easy sharing of footage with law enforcement through its Neighbors app, allowing police to request footage without a warrant. However, under new leadership, Ring has scaled back these partnerships, though it still complies with legal requests for footage.

What is Ring’s next business strategy?

Ring plans to expand its focus to small and medium-sized businesses by introducing a business-focused subscription plan. This will include features to help businesses manage multiple locations and employee access, potentially increasing its market reach significantly.

How does Amazon’s ownership of Ring impact its operations?

Amazon has largely left Ring to operate independently, with its own branding and leadership. However, Ring’s profitability and integration with Amazon’s ecosystem, including AWS and other Amazon-owned security brands like Blink, have strengthened its position in the market.

What is Amazon Sidewalk, and how does it relate to Ring?

Amazon Sidewalk is a low-power, long-range Wi-Fi network that uses a slice of a user’s home Wi-Fi to provide connectivity to devices like Ring doorbells. It allows devices to communicate over greater distances and is used by delivery vehicles and public services, though it is enabled by default and raises privacy concerns.

What is the cost of accessing Ring’s AI search feature?

The AI search feature is available to users who subscribe to Ring’s Home Pros plan, which costs $20 a month or $200 a year. This is the most expensive of Ring’s three subscription tiers and is required due to the high computing power needed to support the AI functionality.

This chapter explores Ring's new AI search feature, comparing its capabilities to YouTube search. It discusses the feature's accuracy, limitations, and the associated subscription cost. The potential for future AI-driven features like real-time alerts and usage summaries is also examined.

AI-powered search for Ring camera footage.
Searches for people, animals, weather, and actions.
Limitations in distinguishing objects and qualitative searches.
$20 monthly or $200 yearly subscription required for the AI search feature.

Shownotes Transcript

Ring cameras have come a long way. Since the security camera brand launched 11 years ago, its video doorbells and cams have become vigilant, constant surveyors of patios, porches, and vestibules everywhere. Amazon now owns the company, and has ushered it through controversies over privacy concerns, incidents of vigilantism, and the company’s cozy relationship with law enforcement. The drama has not slowed growth; over 10 million Rings have been installed, and the cameras currently blanket our urban and suburban landscape, filming the movements of you, your family, and any strangers who wander near your door.

That makes for a lot of video to sift through if you're trying to find something important, like whether or not a delivery was made, or what time your kids left for soccer practice. That abundance of footage is why Ring cameras, along with many other consumer products right now, are getting some AI-powered capabilities. Ring’s software update helps users search for specific moments their cameras may have captured.

This week, WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave joins the show again to talk about the evolution of Ring—how the security cameras have become nearly ubiquitous security tech, and what the future holds now that they’re being infused with AI.

Show Notes:

Read Paresh’s story about Ring’s AI updates). Read WIRED’s guides to the best **indoor **)and **outdoor **)security cameras. Read more about all the data Ring collects) from its users and why we recently stopped recommending Ring cameras) for a couple of years.

Recommendations:

Paresh recommends getting a Sling TV) subscription from Dish to watch live sports. Mike recommends searching for decoy security cameras you can install if your landlord requires you to put up a security camera. Lauren recommends the streaming shows Nobody Wants This) and Killing Eve). Both are on Netflix.

Paresh Dave can be found on social media @peard33). Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode). Michael Calore is @[email protected]). Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab). The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth)). Our theme music is by Solar Keys).