We can’t just change the definition of ‘recording’
The Verge published a commentary piece questioning how AI hardware is changing the meaning of the word "recording." The article notes that for most of gadget history, a device with a microphone or camera could reasonably be assumed to be either recording or not: on or off, with little gray area. Microphones capture sound, cameras capture images, and that data is saved to a device, sometimes also sent to the cloud for processing, according to the piece. Such data, it says, is a preserved instant in time and therefore a recording.
The article states that this may no longer hold. It cites reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week that Apple is working on a smart home device. The Verge frames the discussion around tech companies pushing the definition of what does and does not constitute a recording with AI hardware.
The piece does not offer further specifics in the available text about the Apple device or how its data handling would work. It presents the definitional shift as a question raised by current AI hardware rather than a settled change.
Based on reporting from the original publisher. Visit the source for full context and later updates.
Publisher excerpt
With AI hardware, tech companies are pushing the definition of what does and doesn't constitute a recording. For most of gadget history, it'd be reasonable to assume that a device with a microphone or camera is either recording you or it isn't; it's either on or off, without much gray area. Microphones capture sound. Cameras […]