Amazon Kills Local Alexa Processing: Privacy Concerns Rise with AI Push

Starting March 28, 2025, Amazon will eliminate the local voice processing option for some Echo devices, sending all voice requests to the cloud for analysis. Amazon claims this is necessary for new generative AI features, but the move has sparked privacy concerns. While users previously could choose not to send voice recordings, transcripts were still sent to Amazon's cloud even with this option enabled. This change forces users to choose between privacy and full Alexa functionality, as disabling recording storage disables many personalized features. Amazon assures users this doesn't compromise privacy, but its past record, including using voice data for targeted ads and security breaches, raises doubts.