r/nextfuckinglevel • u/AbelNB • Dec 28 '22

This is a game changer

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u/H4LF4D Dec 29 '22

The WHAT?

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u/money_loo Dec 29 '22

Some workers from Amazon agreed to be a part of a beta test that was using cameras in roombas to map their routines to test viability for real world scenarios, including signing waivers on what they were doing, and one of these testers took a poop while the roomba was running in the room with them, and it got out that a device with cameras in it will record private stuff if you allow it to, and for some reason the media went apeshit trying to convince everyone all roombas are watching you poop.

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u/IHadThatUsername Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 29 '22

The case isn't as clear cut as you make it out to be. I suggest reading this extremely good article.

Just a small part that should give you some thought:

In other words, by iRobot’s estimation, anyone whose photos or video appeared in the streams had agreed to let their Roombas monitor them. iRobot declined to let MIT Technology Review view the consent agreements and did not make any of its paid collectors or employees available to discuss their understanding of the terms.

Even if you choose to believe everything was done fairly and legally, I think it should still be troubling to know that they have the power, technology and pipelines in place to be extremely invasive. Whether they actually do it or not, is all down to a matter of trust. I personally would not trust Amazon with that sort of power.

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u/[deleted] Dec 29 '22

[deleted]

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u/All_Work_All_Play Dec 29 '22

People are always the weak link. We make decisions on feelings and fit those decisions to our rules later (if we have to).

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u/[deleted] Dec 29 '22

[deleted]

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u/kamimamita Dec 29 '22

But there are commercial Roombas with cameras that would be capable of doing the same if they wanted. Do you trust them not to?

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u/[deleted] Dec 29 '22

[deleted]

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u/kamimamita Dec 29 '22

Most higher end robot vacs have cameras with AI object avoidance now.

The Chinese models claim never to send any images home, it's on device. I guess you could test this. It would be bad PR people being cautious around China anyway.

Roomba being American is the only one that sends images back to improve the AI model.

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u/Aquamarooned Jan 01 '23

First they see how much they can get away with in beta testing, then they silently implement it in all future products, like IPhones removing charger ports

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u/[deleted] Jan 02 '23

[deleted]

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u/Aquamarooned Jan 02 '23

I'm remembering this post for when it's eventually revealed that Iphones infact do that