We can’t just change the definition of ‘recording’

Tech companies are pushing the definition of what constitutes a "recording" with new AI hardware. Historically, a recording meant data preserved by a microphone or camera. Now, devices like a rumored Apple smart home camera and Apple Watch's Audio Intelligence process data without saving raw audio or video, generating text snippets or summaries instead. Google is also exploring cameras that sense but don't record. This challenges the notion that preserved, reviewable data is a recording. The article argues that even text transcripts count as recordings and questions whether companies are redefining terms to avoid legal and privacy scrutiny. It highlights issues of consent in shared spaces, inconsistent privacy indicators like Meta's white light, and the difficulty of distinguishing recording from non-recording devices. Ultimately, it calls for a societal consensus on what constitutes a recording, as AI's need to remember our lives conflicts with privacy.

(Source：The Verge)