Amazon's kid-savvy Alexa a welcome new option for Echo speakers

 Amazon is tweaking its Alexa technology so that when the Echo smart speaker detects that a child is talking to them, it switches to child-friendly mode.

Given the extent to which these digital devices have entered our lives, this is welcome news.

Echo devices go deep into our lives. We use them to get answers to questions, control lights, and play music. Our children see us using them, and our children imitate their parents. As a result, the giant retailer said at Thursday's device launch that Amazon will offer parents the option to set up voice profiles for their children in the coming months to generate a child-friendly response.

After setting up a voice profile, Alexa devices will return such as child-friendly answers, games, music, audio books and advanced skills. The feature works perfectly with the new $60 Echo Dot Kids Edition, which features a panda or tiger color option, but it can also be used with other Alexa devices.

This is an important step forward for parents like me who want their children to benefit from new technologies but are worried about them. Building a system that handles children in different ways is critical to safety, privacy, and mental health.

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There is no doubt that new technologies offer many benefits to children. Connected devices enable them to use educational resources to satisfy curiosity and stay connected to friends and family. When COVID-19 leaves it at home, you are especially welcome to use the last feature.

What we don't want is technology that exposes kids to a lot of inappropriate content that covers the entire Web. We also don't want them to be addicted to services such as video games or social media sites that can damage their self-esteem or be psychologically unhealthy.

It's unclear how Amazon's technology will work or how comprehensive it will be. But there are good signs that Amazon is focusing on actual demand.

Take, for example, the technique it demonstrates, called "reading companions," to listen to children read books aloud. If a child struggles, an AI-driven assistant will provide support or even a little help.

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Reading Sidekick can be convenient for parents who handle home learning in special situations, such as a coronavirus pandemic. I can't imagine it being as good as a real parent, teacher or other helpful person. But for many families and schools, alternatives simply don't help.

"Reading companion" is one of the features I want... Four years ago, when my children were trying to read, it was very bad. The best way to help your child improve their reading skills is to read aloud, but most children hate doing it alone, so why do they recommend reading pets? Technology analyst Carolina Milanesi said on Twitter. "Sadly, pets don't give feedback."

I foresee a lot of problems. Children often figure out how to get around their parents' control. It is difficult to establish a "child model" when the "child" ranges from preschooler to middle school student. Moreover, the more customized the service, the more worrying the privacy implications. This is especially true for companies like Amazon, which have a great incentive to look at our profiles to find out what we want to buy online. Amazon already has privacy-related flaws, including storing Alexa's voice records and turning Bing security cameras into community surveillance systems.

And don't forget that Amazon's main interest here is getting your family into its technology and paying for services such as Prime, Amazon Music Unlimited and Audible. Today's child is tomorrow's subscriber.

But let's be realistic. Millions of us have brought these devices into our homes. It's better to try to fight problems than to pretend they don't exist. Teaching Alexa to work smarter with her children is a start.