Artificial intelligence and voice command functionality are at the centre of the smart speaker war being waged between Amazon, Apple and Google, as The National reported yesterday. Speech recognition features in each of these devices are capable of understanding an array of accents, dialects and speech patterns, even if some users complain of the limited overall abilities of today’s digital assistants. In September last year, Google turned on its machine-learning system to analyse languages and sentence structures, allowing Google Translate to create its own artificial language, called interlingua, to improve its output. Every day the technology inches closer to more comprehensive accuracy.
So, next time Alexa or Assistant fluffs its lines when you ask it what the weather is going to be like tomorrow, don’t be too hard on your digital friend. After all, how often do our words get lost in translation in every day life?
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
