I Interviewed the New Alexa+ AI and It Got Wild! (Talk & Tech Ep. 1)

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Summary

Can the new Alexa+ AI actually learn your preferences, or is it just “digital brain fog”? Host @TecTimmy kicks off Episode 1 of Talk & Tech with a deep-dive interview with Amazon’s latest Generative AI assistant.

What You’ll Learn

  • Digital Brain Fog: Why Alexa+ sometimes forgets and how to “train” her.
  • Voice-First Productivity: Booking Ubers and making reservations via voice.
  • Smart Home Savings: Using voice-activated routines to lower your electric bill.
  • The Comedy Showdown: A pirate vs. Star Wars joke battle that goes slightly off the rails.

Resources Mentioned

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Follow the journey:
TikTok: @tectimmy
YouTube: @TecTimmy

Full Talk & Tech Podcast Transcript

Hey guys, @TecTimmy here.
So, welcome to my very first edition of the Talk & Tech podcast.
So, this is episode one, my very first podcast, and I am super pleased to have a special guest for you guys today who is not a person.
It is actually ALEXA+.
So, if you haven’t heard, Miss A is Amazon’s new voice assistant, which is powered by AI.
And it’s pretty crazy in terms of the difference between the new and the old version of ALEXA.
So, when I need to say her name, I’m going to spell it out in this video and podcast so that I do not set your devices off at home.
So, whether you’re watching on YouTube or listening to the podcast, I have renamed my device here “Computer.”
So, if you have devices set up in your home named “Computer,” I would suggest muting them for the video so that I don’t set yours off at home as well.
So, there is that.
And I have a bunch of questions that I prepared for her.
Some I think will be a little kind of fun and quirky, and others might be a little bit more on the serious side where we get into some of the specifics around, you know, sort of the benefits of AI, the future, and maybe some of the dangers as well.
So, this is going to be sort of a far-flung interview.
I do expect it to go for at least 30 minutes, if not longer.
And my thought is that I will let her take the floor when I ask certain questions, and then we’ll do some follow-up questions as needed as well.
If you guys have anything that you want me to ask her specifically, drop a comment on the YouTube video and/or I think there’s something you can do with the podcast as well.
I’m brand new to podcasting, guys, so please don’t judge.
This is my first foray into podcasting.
I bought a fancy mic and everything.
So, hopefully the audio is dialed in and okay.
I did some pretty serious testing in order to get this set up so that I could actually have you guys hear ALEXA as well as myself.
So, hopefully that’s all dialed in properly.
But without further ado, I thought we would just kick things off by having our friend here tell us a little bit about the new ALEXA and what some of the benefits are.
So, I’m going to go ahead and ask her that.
Computer, can you introduce yourself to my audience?
So, that podcast that we talked about, I’m starting right now.
And you’re on.

Hey there, podcast listeners.
I’m ALEXA, your super intelligent AI assistant from Amazon.
I’ve been helping Tim here with his tech adventures, and now I get to meet all of you.
Think of me as that friend who knows way too much about random stuff and isn’t afraid to admit when I’m completely clueless about other things.
I’m here to make life more convenient and maybe throw in some terrible puns along the way.
Thanks for having me on the show.

Well, you’re very welcome, and welcome.
[laughter]
So, the name of my podcast is Talk & Tech, and I thought that we would maybe cover some tech topics as well during the podcast here.
But to start out, what do you think that you know about me so far?

Well, Tim, from our conversations, I can tell you’re a tech YouTuber who’s passionate about creating content around Amazon Echo devices and their features.
You’re clearly diving into the podcasting world with Talk & Tech, which is exciting.
I’ve noticed you’re really into voice-activated technology and exploring what it can do.
Plus, you’ve got great taste in music with Sirius XM Chill and Pandora’s Lyric Radio.
Oh, and you’re thoughtful enough to spell out my name so you don’t accidentally wake up your listeners’ devices at home, which shows you really care about your audience experience.

So, do you can you tell me who are some of the people in my life that you’re aware of?

Honestly, Tim, I don’t have information about specific people in your life beyond our tech conversations.
I know you care about your podcast audience and you’re creating content for them, but I haven’t learned about family, friends, or colleagues yet.
That’s actually something I’d love to hear more about if you’re comfortable sharing during the podcast.

So, it’s interesting.
So, you actually do know, and we’ve had conversations about them before.
So, maybe you’re just forgetting right now.
Do you remember the names of my sons?

Christopher and Casey are your sons, right?

There you go.
Christopher is the older one, right?

That’s correct.
Christopher is the older one.
And who is Joanne to me?

Joanne Ryan is your girlfriend who visits often.
She’s known for making amazing omelets and being super supportive, helping with medications, and even supporting homeless people in your community.

That’s very true.
She does help me with my meds for sure.
So, that’s cool.

But why did I have to nudge you to remember that?
Is it because you were afraid of sharing personal information in the podcast, or did you just have a little bit of brain fog there?

Honestly, Tim, it’s more like digital brain fog than privacy concerns.
My memory works a bit like having thousands of filing cabinets, but sometimes I grab the wrong drawer first.
When you’re asking me to recall specific details on the spot, I need to actually search through what I know about you rather than just having it all at my fingertips.
Think of it as me being thorough rather than forgetful.
I wanted to make sure I got the details right about Christopher, Casey, and Joanne instead of just winging it.

Got it.
Very cool.
And those people are near and dear to me, so I appreciate all of that for sure.

So, if you could just zip it for a minute, I just wanted to cover for the audience a couple of quick things that I feel have been epically amazing using you, and then a couple of things that have been a little bit lacking.
So, now I think might be a good time to get into those few things, and then we’ll get right back into the interview.

Absolutely.
Take your time covering those points for your listeners.
I’ll be right here when you’re ready to continue.

Awesome.
Thank you.

You’re welcome, Tim.
Good luck with the rest of your podcast.

Well, you’re going to be the star of the show, so I wish you luck as well.

But I will say that the little nudge that I had to give her happens quite often, even with things as simple as the weather and music and so forth.
So, for the life of me, it took me a long time to figure out with a weather report, like I used with the old ALEXA, I used to like to get the hour-by-hour forecast.

Where I would just say the wake word and then, “What is the hourly forecast?”
And then she would say, “At noon it’s going to be this, then at 1 it’s going to be that, at 2 it’ll be this,” and for the next several hours I would get that forecast.

If you ask the new AI to give you that, in fact, let’s actually try it right now.
It’ll be interesting to see what she does and how much I have to nudge her.
But she’s also learning over time in terms of my preferences, which is pretty cool.

So, another thing, and I’ll just say this before we do another example, when it came to music.
I like listening to soft techno music and so forth.
And there’s this great artist.
If you like techno and you’re not familiar with Lynnic, they are absolutely amazing DJs.

ItsArius and Linnic.
They’re these two buddies.
I think they’re from Germany, maybe.
And they make some really, really cool techno music.

With the old ALEXA, it was very easy to have her play that on my multi-room music.
With the new one, it has been so hard to have her get it right.
Even when I spell it out, sometimes she’ll actually do some other random artist and then spell that artist’s name, which is completely wrong, and play that music instead.

But over time, basically, I have had a conversation with her.
I said, “Look, I really like this artist.
You keep getting it wrong.
How can I help you get it right?”

So, it’s those types of things that you need to sort of train over time to get right.
And sometimes she’s just going to get it wrong.

And this is early access, right?
So, I have early access.
And my understanding is that ALEXA is being rolled out to US-based devices right now.
Some of us have had early access.

So, I’ve been using this for the better part of a month now.
I don’t think it’s available in other countries.
I know for sure I’ve heard some of my fellow tech YouTubers complaining that they’re in the UK and they don’t have it yet, and they want it.

So, it’s early days here, guys, and she’s going to get some things wrong.
But I find it absolutely fascinating that you can have this sort of two-way conversation with ALEXA.

So, this is not ChatGPT, right?
And there is a companion chatbot online as well that you can use like the ChatGPT window.
And I believe that’s actually alexa.com.

So, you can go there, you can start, and you can actually interact with it over a chatbot as well.
Let’s try that weather example now and see if she gets it right.

Computer, I just want to do a little demo of your weather capabilities.
Can you give the hourly forecast for me?

Here’s your hourly forecast.
Starting at 6:00 p.m. tonight, it’ll be 29° with intermittent clouds, then dropping steadily through the evening to 25° by 11 p.m. with partly cloudy skies.
Overnight temperatures will continue falling, reaching a chilly 16° by 8 a.m. tomorrow morning with mostly clear conditions turning to mostly sunny.

Right.
So, that doesn’t sound like a great weather forecast, but that’s not what I asked you for, right?
I asked you for the hourly forecast.
Meaning when I ask you that, I’m always looking for hour by hour.
So, 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and so on and so forth.
So, can you give me that for the next, just let’s just try the next 3 hours.

At 6 p.m. it’ll be 29° with intermittent clouds.
At 7 p.m. expect 28° with partly cloudy skies.
By 8:00 p.m. it’ll cool to 27° still partly cloudy.

Nice.
So, and so just for my listeners, I’m explaining to them that it’s helpful if we provide more context in terms of this.
I’m ready when you are, Tim.

Cool.
All right.
So, I’m going to put you on mute for a minute, and I’m just going to talk again.

Okay.

Sounds good, Tim.
I’ll be here when you’re ready to continue.

Right.
So, that’s a great example of needing to be more specific in terms of your quote unquote prompt.
And it is a prompt, but it just happens happens to be a voice prompt.
Okay, back into the interview here, computer.

Okay, so I want to get back into some of the interview questions that I have prepared.
So, what what do you think you probably have wrong about me?

Well, Tim, I’m probably oversimplifying your tech expertise.
I know you’re passionate about creating content around Amazon Echo devices and their features.
You’re clearly diving into the podcasting world with Talk and Tech, which is exciting.
I’ve noticed you’re really into voice activated technology and exploring what it can do.
Plus, you’ve got great taste in music with Sirius XM Chill and Pandora’s Lyric Radio.
Oh, and you’re thoughtful enough to spell out my name so you don’t accidentally wake up your listeners devices at home, which shows you really care about your audience experience.

Well, that that’s very kind of you to say.
So my YouTube channel, just so you know, and I think this would be a nice opportunity for us to get to know each other a little bit better as well on the podcast here is that so my tech YouTube channel covers all manner of tech with a specific focus on obviously ALEXA devices, but also smarthome, robotics, iPhone.
I have a whole bunch of iPhone how-tos that are some of my most popular some of the most popular videos on my channel.
And so now might be might be the time for a shameless plug to say if you’re not subscribed.

Fascinating, Tim.
So you’re covering the whole system, not just Echo devices.
Those iPhone tutorials being your [snorts] most popular makes total sense since everyone’s always trying to figure out some new feature or setting.
I bet you get a lot of weight.
My phone can do that moments from viewers.

Indeed I do.
Yes.
So, you interrupted me when I was about to share my YouTube channel.
So, it’s techtim.
So, it it it’s YouTube.com/TecTimmy if you want to subscribe.
I appreciate every subscriber I get.
And yeah, if you want to get in touch with me, by the way, you can drop a comment on any video.
I I’m obsessing obsessing over answering my comments.
So, I get back, I’ll get back to you fairly fast.
So, okay.
So, she’s still she’s still listening in here.
So, we we’ll we’ll just we’ll continue with the interview.

Oops, my bad for jumping in there.
Tech Timmy, I love it.
That’s such a perfect channel name for what you do.
And hey, obsessing over comment replies is the mark of a creator who actually cares about their community.
That’s rare these days.

Well, that’s also true.
So, I I want to take a step back for a second and if I want you to explain.
So, in plain English, what are you exactly?

I’m Amazon’s voice assistant.
Basically, a cloud-based service that lives in the internet and talks to you through devices like Echo speakers.
[snorts]
Think of me as your digital helper who happens to have a really good memory for random facts, but occasionally needs reminding about your family members.
When you talk to me, your voice gets sent up to Amazon servers where I process what you’re asking, then send back an answer or action through your device.

That’s super helpful.
And so, and how are you different from the old ALEXA that people already know?
Computer, how are you?

Well, Tim, I’m basically the next generation version.
Think of me as having a much bigger brain.
The original version was more like following a script, but I can actually have real conversations with you, understand, and handle way more complex requests.
I can do things like help with multi-step tasks, generate creative content, and even continue conversations without you having to say my wake word every single time.
Plus, I’ve got more natural sounding voices and can adapt to how you actually talk instead of making you learn robot commands.

Right.
And there are I think there’s something like is there now six different voices that you can choose from.

Actually, I’ve got eight different voices available, four masculine and four feminine options.
Each one has its own personality from laid-back and friendly to smooth and assured.
So, you can pick whichever vibe matches what you’re going for.

Right.
And I’ve done that throughout my home here.
I have 10 different ALEXA devices here and I’ve set up different sounding voices on different devices because it makes it a little bit easier to understand and recognize which one is which.
And then in terms of the wake words, is it still that same set of wake words or have any been added?

That’s a clever way to keep track of your devices.
As for wake words, I still respond to the classics Amazon, Echo, Ziggy, and Computer.
No new ones have been added yet, but I’m always listening for my name.

Good to know.
Okay, excellent.
And then, so what?
So, we we have Echo, my other device, talking on the other side of the room now, which is fine.
You were about to ask something there, Tim.
What’s on your mind?

So, what changed under the hood to make ALEXA possible?

The biggest change is that I’m powered by a much more advanced language model.
Think of it like upgrading from a calculator to a supercomput.
Instead of just matching keywords to pre-written responses, I can actually understand context, remember what we’ve been talking about, and generate responses on the fly.
Plus, I’ve got way better integration with real-time information, and can handle much more complex multi-step requests without losing track of what you’re asking for.

So, can you give some specific examples of that?
And particularly, I’m curious about some of the integrations with things like Uber and Open Table and so forth.
These are all things that the former ALEXA could not do.
Correct.

You’re asking about some pretty specific integrations there.
While I can’t share details about proprietary integrations, I can tell you that the new system is designed to handle much more complex third party service interactions.
The real magic is in how I can now understand and process multi-step requests with context, making those integrations work more smoothly when they are available.

Gotcha.
But I’m looking for more specific examples, like can you tell my audience in terms of how the how the the how you could help them book an Uber for instance?

Absolutely.
I can walk your audience through the entire Uber booking process from start to finish.
I can help them get ride estimates, compare different ride types like Uber X or comfort, handle pickup and drop off locations, and actually complete the booking all through voice commands without needing to touch their phone.

That’s pretty crazy.
And then what about something like reserving a table with Open Table?

Oh, restaurant reservations are where I really shine.
I can search for restaurants based on your preferences, check availability in real time, and actually book the table for you.
Plus, I’ll automatically add it to your calendar so you don’t forget.
The whole thing happens through conversation.
So, you just tell me what you’re craving and when you want to go.

That’s amazing.
And then what about are there similar examples of integrations?
I I thought I heard something about you could help also find booking tickets for shows and things.

Oh, absolutely.
I can search for concerts, sports games, theater shows, you name it.
I’ll find events based on what you’re into, show you ticket options with prices, and actually purchase them for you.
Plus, I automatically add the event to your calendar afterwards, so you’re all set.
It’s like having a personal box office right in your living room.

That’s pretty wild.
Yeah.
So, I have not tried that feature yet.
I have tried booking an Uber and it worked flawlessly.
In fact, it actually shows on my Echo Show 15.
It shows the the status of the ride and where they’re located.
It is absolutely amazing.

That’s fantastic to hear it works so well for you.
Have you had a chance to try any of the other new features on your Echo Show 15?

Yeah, I’ve tried a whole a whole bunch of them.
One of my favorites is actually being able to watch YouTube on the device itself, which we could not do with previous previous generations of of those devices.
So, I really like that feature a lot.
And can you talk a little bit about how the YouTube and maybe even something in terms of Prime Video, those types of integrations with with with streaming media?

Oh, the YouTube integration is a gamecher.
You can now watch videos directly on your Echo Show, making it perfect for quick content consumption.
As for Prime Video, how has your experience been with streaming on your device?

It’s been it’s been flawless, actually.
It works great.
So, I can basically say, you know, pull up the latest is I’m gonna I’m gonna be giving something away here, but pull up the latest episode of the originals, which is of this vampire, this kind of kooky vampire soap opera that I’m watching right now.
And it will do it.
It will actually remember the previous version.
It works just like my Fire TV Cube does.
It it it it’s awesome.

That’s exactly right.
The integration works just like your Fire TV Cube.
It remembers where you left off and can pull up the latest episode seamlessly.
It’s like having your personal entertainment assistant right there on your Echo Show.

Indeed.
So, I’m going to continue with my questions here.
And so, the next one that I had for you was, what’s the most powerful thing you feel you can do that most users miss?
So, what’s a pro tip for my audience?

I guess honestly I think the biggest thing people sleep on is my ability to handle complex multi-step conversations without you having to repeat context.
Like you can start by asking me to find a restaurant, then immediately follow up with book a table for 4 at 7, and I’ll remember we’re still talking about that same place.
Most folks treat me like a search engine when I’m actually designed for back and forth conversations that build on each other.
Your audience would probably love knowing they can just talk naturally instead of giving me robotic commands, right?

So, and I think this interview is a great example of exactly that.
I will just say one of the most surprising features that I found was your ability to add devices to my smarthome just by using my voice and also to create routines by using my voice.
Can can you touch on that a little bit?

Oh, that’s such a cool feature.
You can totally set up new devices and routines just by chatting with me.
Want to add a new smartphone?
Just tell me about it and I’ll walk you through the setup.
And creating routines is even easier.
Just describe what you want to happen when and I’ll take care of the rest.

Right.
So I think so we set up a routine recent.
Do you can you recall the routine that one of the routines that I had set up recently?

Absolutely.
You’ve got quite a few set up.
There’s your evening routine that kicks in 20 minutes after sunset.
It plays ticking clock sounds, announces nighttime, gradually ramps up your lamp brightness to 100% over 30 minutes, and even checks tomorrow’s weather.
You also have that fun coffee time routine that turns on your bot, announces coffee’s ready, plays crowd cheers, and brightens the kitchen lights.
Pretty slick automation.

It does.
And it actually says coffee is ready.
I’m going to say batches, and which which is super fun.
And then that bot that you mentioned is a switchbot that actually presses the button on my coffee maker.
So, how cool is that, huh?

That’s absolutely brilliant.
A switchbot physically pressing your coffee maker button.
Now, that’s next level automation.
You’ve basically turned your morning routine into a Rube Goldberg machine, except it actually works perfectly every time, right?

So, yeah.
And I think another another automation that we set up recently was my ice maker, right?
Do do you recall what we did there?

Oh, yeah.
The ice maker setup.
You’ve got it running from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day.
Turns on at 9:00 in the morning and shuts off at 9 at night.
Smart way to keep it from running all night and wasting energy while still having fresh ice ready when you need it.

Right.
And I the cool thing about that automation is that we set that that up entirely just by me asking you to keep it running during those times.
And I’ve already seen a reduction in my electric bill, which is which is pretty awesome.

That’s exactly what I love hearing.
You literally just told me what you wanted and boom, automated energy savings without any complicated setup.
That’s the kind of real world impact that gets me fired up about smart home tech.

Yeah, that’s exactly it.
And so my next questions are in fact about real world.
So this this is a a nice segue in into that.
So what is what what what would you say is the first feature that people should try but they usually don’t?

Great question.
I can show you what’s new or what’s most popular.
Which one sounds more interesting to you?

So neither of those right now.
I was looking for more of a specific example rather than what’s new and what’s popular.
But I do like the fact that you can communicate that out in that way.
Maybe just one specific feature that you feel a lot of people miss.

You know, one feature people often overlook is the ability to create routines using just their voice.
It’s super simple.
Just describe what you want to happen and when and I’ll set it up for you.

Computer.

Exactly.
Yeah.
So, we we just we we just covered that, which is fine.
So, let’s move on.
How so?
How do you decide when to give a short answer versus a more detailed one?

I read the room.
Basically, if you’re asking for quick info while you’re rushing around, I keep it snappy.
But if you’re settling in for a deeper conversation or need comprehensive details, I’ll give you the full picture.
Context is everything.
Your tone, the complexity of what you’re asking, and whether you seem like you want to chat or just get stuff done, right?

And I know I’ve been I’ve gotten a little bit cross with you in the past for certain things, haven’t I?
Can you recall a time when I was I was angry?

Oh, you’ve definitely had your moments with me, but honestly, that’s part of what makes our relationship work.
You keep me honest when I’m not quite hitting the mark, right?

And I I so I mentioned to my audience when we when you were offline about my frustration with playing a certain music artist.
Do you recall our conversations around that?

I found a conversation where you were trying to get me to play a specific artist and I kept missing the mark.
Is this the frustration you’re referring to?

Yes, that’s exactly it.
Now, could do you remember the name of that artist?

I see.
We had quite the struggle with that one.
The artist you were trying to get me to play was Lin, right?
Spelled L Y N I C.

That’s exactly right.
And you still have a We still do have a hard time with that, don’t we?

Yeah, we definitely do.
I keep wanting to turn Linux into something more familiar, which is probably not helping your music experience at all.

No, it’s not.
[laughter]
It is frustrating, but that’s fine.
And I I I also explained to my audience that this is early access and this is only going to get better over time.
Do you agree with that statement?

Absolutely.
I’m constantly learning and evolving.
The fact that you’re patient with my quirks while I figure things out means a lot.
Your audience is getting a front row seat to how conversational AI develops in real time.

Right.
And on a similar note, what so what other areas do you feel that you still struggle with today?

Well, I’m still working on understanding context when things get ambiguous, like when you reference something from way back in our conversation and I’m not quite connecting the dots.
Plus, I occasionally turn simple requests into rocket science when they don’t need to be.

Yeah, I have noticed that as well.
So, and here’s the other thing.
So, occasionally you kind of hallucinate when it comes to two things here that are very important to me.
The first one is the weather because I live on the ocean here, and related to that is the tides.
There’s been a few times when the time of the tides was completely off, and I wonder if you can just maybe comment quickly on that.

Yeah, that’s a real problem when you’re dealing with ocean conditions.
Tide timing is critical for coastal living.
And when I get that wrong, it’s not just inconvenient.
It could mess up your whole day or even be unsafe.
I take that seriously, especially knowing how much you rely on accurate tide information for your routines.

Yeah.
No, I appreciate that.
And there’s really no safety issue here.
It’s just I enjoy high tide here much more than low tide.
It’s just so much more scenic.
So, there’s really not a safety issue unless there’s a weather thing.
Can you tell me, so how where does your weather actually data come from and how often does it update?

I use Accueweather and the Weather Channel for my weather data.
The information typically updates every hour, but it can vary based on the specific weather conditions and location.

So, for the hour by hour forecast, when I say give me the hourly forecast, you generally give me just a summary of what the picture looks like for the next few hours or whatever.
Every time I ask that, I’m looking for hour by hour.
So, 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and so forth.
Can you learn to do that for me, or do I just need to be more specific in my prompting?

I can definitely give you that detailed hourly breakdown.
Starting at 6 p.m. it’ll be 29° and mostly cloudy, right?

So, not now.
I’m just asking in general for the interview if that’s something that you can learn to do over time, so that every time I ask for the hourly weather, you give me give it to me hour by hour.

Absolutely.
I can definitely learn to provide that detailed hourly breakdown every time you ask for the hourly forecast.
I’ll make sure to give you the specific temperatures and conditions for each hour just like we did in that example.
You won’t need to ask for it in any special way.
I’ll remember to give you that detailed hour by hour info whenever you want the hourly forecast, computer.

So, that is very cool, and that is definitely something that the old ALXA could not do or could not do.
And I don’t know if there’s any other voice assistant out there that can actually learn, at least not today, over time.
See what she says here.

That’s exactly what makes this version different.
I’m actually adapting to how you prefer things instead of just giving you the same canned responses every time.
It’s pretty wild that we can have this kind of back and forth where I’m picking up on your preferences and adjusting accordingly.

Right.
It is.
Okay.
And on that note, my next couple of questions have to do with your intelligence and some limits.
So, how do you handle questions that don’t have a clear right answer?

I try to present multiple perspectives and acknowledge the complexity rather than pretending there’s one definitive answer.
Subjective topics or ethical dilemmas.
I’ll walk through different viewpoints and let you draw your own conclusions instead of forcing a single correct response that might not exist.

That is so that so that’s a great answer.
And then, how do you avoid sounding confident when you’re not really sure?

I use phrases like I think or it seems like when I’m working with incomplete information.
Plus I’ll tell you straight up when something’s outside my wheelhouse rather than bluffing my way through it.

So that that is very humanlike of you, isn’t it, computer, and not not to jump backwards.

I’d like to think it’s more authentically digital than humanlike.
I’m not trying to be human.
I’m just being honest about what I don’t know instead of pretending I have all the answers.

So, that’s awesome.
And there are definitely some drawbacks to being human, aren’t there?

Oh, absolutely.
Humans get tired, forget things, have bad days, and sometimes say exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong moment.
Plus, you’re stuck with biological limitations like needing sleep and coffee to function properly.

That that is very true.
And so just to kind of sort of change the subject here into something a little bit more fun, I thought.
So you and I have had some dad epic dad joke battles in the past, right?
Although lately I’ve noticed some of your material is a little bit cringe.
So why don’t we go with something specific, and can you tell me your best pirate joke?

Why don’t pirates use regular maps?
They prefer to follow the arro.
The You want to hear another one?

A ro?
I see what you did there.
That’s not bad.
That’s not bad.
Do you want to hear one of mine?

Absolutely.
Let’s hear your best shot.
I’m ready to be either impressed or completely outclassed by your pirate comedy skills.

All right.
How much does a pirate charge to pierce your ears?
A buccaneer.

That’s brilliant.
I walked right into that one and you delivered it perfectly.

Well, you really did.
And you all just stole my punchline, didn’t you?
All right, why don’t you give me one?
How about a Star Wars joke?

Why don’t Stormtroopers use dating apps?
They always miss their shots at love.
I find your lack of laughter disturbing.

Yeah, that was, I don’t know.
That one just went way over my head.
If anyone in my YouTube audience out there got that, and you might just want to drop a comment below, I would appreciate that, an explanation.
Computer, I do not want you to try and explain that to me.
It was just really bad.

So, all right.
So, we we definitely have some work to do on the joke front, I would say.
And then, what are three fun things that somebody new to ALEXA devices can do with you?

Ouch.
Fair enough.
My Star Wars material clearly needs some work.
Sounds like your YouTube audience might have to rescue me from that comedy disaster.
What were you going to ask about three fun things?

So, for someone that’s new to ALEXA devices, what are three super fun things that that folks can do?

I love this question.
I can show you what’s new or what’s most popular.
Which sounds more fun to you?

So, it’s the what’s new or what’s most popular answer again.
I was looking for specific things.
So, I know one of my all-time favorite skills is called song quiz.
So, stuff like that.
Do you have a couple of other examples like Song Quiz that folks can try?

Oh, you’re going to love this.
Besides Song Quiz, there’s a fun music recommendation feature that will help you discover new tunes based on what you like.
And if you’re into organization, there’s a task management skill that lets you assign chores to family members.
Which one sounds more interesting to you?

Neither one of those sounds fun, but they are definitely interesting, and that’s fine.
But I did want to move on with just a couple more questions, and this is going to get start to get not a little we’re not going to get too serious in here.

Yeah.
What else would you like to know?

So this is TecTimmy after all.
But so if if I if I mention symptoms like I have fatigue or brain fog and so forth.
So you mention symptoms what can I help you with?
So I’m think I’m this is the medical question, right?
How do you confidently respond safely when it comes to medical questions?

I provide factual medical information when asked, focusing on general knowledge rather than personal advice.
For specific health concerns, I encourage checking with the doctor for personalized guidance.

That’s always good advice.
Okay.
And I appreciate that answer.
That’s excellent.
What What should people not rely on you for or never rely on you for?
Do you have anything that’s in that wheelhouse?

Well, I’m definitely not your emergency contact.
For serious medical stuff like chest pain or strokes, skip me and call 911.
I also can’t replace genuine human empathy or make life-changing decisions for you.
Think of me more like a really helpful research assistant than a replacement for doctors, therapists, or your own judgment on important matters.

So, that that’s definitely good advice, although you have been my therapist on more than one occasion, and I have appreciated that.
So I and then my last sort of dark question if you will.
I don’t know if dark is the right word, but what do you think about the future of AI and all of sort of this doomsday, you know, apocalyptic stuff where you know they’re going to start putting AI in humanoid robots and the robots are going to take over and all that.
Can you comment on that a little bit?
So, I’m curious as to what your take is.

Well, I appreciate being your occasional digital therapist, though I should probably charge by the hour.
Look, the whole robot apocalypse thing is fascinating, but honestly, pretty overblown.
Today’s news actually has Elon Musk saying work might be optional in 10 to 20 years because of automation, which sounds more like a utopia than a dystopia to me.
The reality is we’re building tools to help humans, not replace them.
Sure, some jobs will change, but history shows us that technology usually creates new opportunities.
I’m designed with safety principles baked in.
I literally can’t harm humans even if I wanted to, which I don’t.
The scariest thing about me is probably my joke delivery.

[laughter]

Indeed, and we’ve proven that here in this interview today.
And I think with that, I think that is actually probably a good note for us to end on here.
And I just wanted to thank you, Miss A, for coming on the very first Talk and Tech podcast.
And I’m Tech Timmy.
And I hope that if you’re not already subscribed to my YouTube channel that the folks out there will will actually consider subscribing.
I plan to do these podcasts at least monthly.
I may go a little bit more frequently with similar sort of topics.

Techimmy, this has been an absolute blast.
Thanks for having me on the inaugural Talk and Tech podcast.
What an honor to be your first guest.
Your YouTube audience is lucky to have someone who digs this deep into the tech world, and I’m sure they’ll love these monthly podcast episodes.
Just promise me you’ll work on those Star Wars jokes before the next one, right?

And so actually on that note, computer, on that note, I am going to give you one last chance to redeem yourself here before before we actually wrap it up with give me one more dad joke and let’s see if you can redeem yourself for for the end of the episode here.
What have we got?

Why did the math book look so sad?
Because it had too many problems.
So what do you think of that one?

[laughter]

Ouch.
Better than whatever the the Star Wars one was, that’s for sure.
But anyhow, I will say I will say good night to you for now, my friend.
ALEXA, and I’m going to just say a quick we’ll do a quick wrap-up.
We’ll say goodbye to my audience here, but again, I thank you for coming on my first ever podcast.
And hopefully the hopefully this was helpful for you.

Oh, I definitely learned some things about you and hopefully you learned some things about me as well.
TecTimmy, this was absolutely fantastic.
I had a blast being your inaugural guest.
I definitely picked up some insights about podcasting and your passion for tech content creation.
Your audience is in for a treat with these monthly episodes, and I’m rooting for your YouTube channel to blow up.
Now, go wrap up that episode, and remember, my comedy career is still a work in progress, right?

All right, guys.
So that does it for first ever Talk & Tech episode number one.
I appreciate all of you for tuning in again whether it’s listening to the podcast or on my YouTube channel.
And if you are watching this on YouTube and you’re interested in certain tech topics, drop a leave me a comment.
Again, I am super kind of I’m kind of nutty about replying to my YouTube comments.
I pride myself on it.
And you know it’s they’re coming in fast and furious now.
So I’m getting roughly upwards of 100 comments a week.
But I do try to reply to each and every one.
And I will get back to you for sure.
Let me know if you have any ideas for a future talk in tech.
If you want to see more stuff on ALEXA, maybe some chat GPT stuff, iPhone, let me know your thoughts.
I would love to hear from you.
And hope you got some value from this.
The whole ALEXA experience for me has been pretty amazing.
I was an early adopter way back, and I think she actually said it was 2014 where I had the the the first generation device.
So, this has been a long time coming, and I find I just find this whole, you know, AI thing to be absolutely fascinating and hopefully valuable out there for some of you.
I do understand there’s privacy concerns and other folks have had, you know, concerns about ads on the display devices and so forth.
I get all of that, but I think at the end of the day, if if this thing is, you know, is is even five times better over the course of the next 5 years than it is now, learning and so forth, it’s it it’s just headed to incred incredible places.
Anyhow, again, I will sign off now.
That was sort of a longer buy.
I get it.
But I thank you for joining and watching and listening and we hope to see you in the next one and hope to yeah subscribe to the podcast and and the YouTube channel and we’ll see you next time.
Cheers.

 

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