Shhhh, they're listening: Inside the voice-profiling revolution: World expert shares insights with BizNews community

Loading player...
Thanks to the public’s embrace of smart speakers, intelligent car displays and voice-responsive phones – along with the rise of voice intelligence in call centres – marketers say they are on the verge of being able to use AI-assisted vocal analysis technology to achieve unprecedented insights into shoppers’ identities and inclinations, says world authority on media systems and industries, Professor Joseph Turow of the University of Pennsylvania. He sets out the implications of his in-depth research which finds that not only can people be profiled by their speech patterns, but they can also be assessed by the sound of their voices. Alexa, Siri and other voice-activated technologies could be used to spy on you for advertisers and even governments. According to some researchers, your voice is unique and can reveal feelings, personalities and even physical characteristics. He spoke to Jackie Cameron, for BizNews, about why we should be worried about the latest advances amid a podcasting revolution - and think twice about joining groups like Clubhouse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
8 May 2021 1AM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

Fighting to save South Africa’s moral compass: Unashamedly Ethical's Gary Power

Gary Power lifts the lid on corruption, ethical collapse, and the fight to rebuild South Africa from the ground up. In this powerful conversation, the CEO of Unashamedly Ethical shares how his father transformed a major construction business, why integrity is a survival strategy, and how collective action, faith, and…
14 May 6AM 28 min

‘It looked completely real’: Another victim speaks out on alleged FXSI deepfake scam

Another victim has come forward to share her experience of allegedly being scammed by FXSI, a company accused of using sophisticated online tactics and deepfake-style advertising to lure victims into fraudulent investments. In this follow-up interview with BizNews, the victim explains how she first encountered the scheme through social media…
14 May 7AM 19 min

BN Daybreak - Thu 14 May 2026: Trump’s China summit; Viljoen vs. Heystek investment challenge; FXSI scam continues

In today's BizNews Daybreak, we feature President Trump’s high-stakes Beijing summit alongside tech titans Elon Musk and Jensen Huang. We show also analyses a sharp spike in US wholesale inflation and Cisco's major AI-driven restructuring. Piet Viljoen and Magnus Heystek discusses their million-rand investment challenge and South Africa's surprising market…
14 May 12AM 15 min