AI-Driven Voice Analysis in Smartphones Can Detect Alcohol Intoxication, Study Finds

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Researchers at Stanford Medicine and the University of Toronto developed an AI system that analyzes voice patterns via smartphones to detect alcohol intoxication with high accuracy. The study demonstrates potential for harm prevention, such as reducing drunk driving, but no actual incidents or misuse have occurred yet.[AI generated]

Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?

An AI system is clearly involved, as the app uses machine learning and signal processing to analyze voice data and predict intoxication. The event concerns the development and testing of this AI system, with no reported harm or incident resulting from its use so far. The article discusses potential future applications that could prevent harm, but no harm or violation has occurred yet. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Hazard because the AI system's use could plausibly lead to an AI Incident (e.g., preventing alcohol-related harm), but no incident has yet materialized.[AI generated]
AI principles
Privacy & data governanceFairnessRobustness & digital securityTransparency & explainabilityAccountabilityRespect of human rightsSafetyDemocracy & human autonomy

Industries
Healthcare, drugs, and biotechnologyMobility and autonomous vehiclesConsumer servicesDigital security

Harm types
Human or fundamental rightsPublic interestPsychologicalReputationalEconomic/PropertyPhysical (injury)Physical (death)

Severity
AI hazard

Business function:
Research and developmentMonitoring and quality control

AI system task:
Recognition/object detectionForecasting/prediction


Articles about this incident or hazard

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Smartphone app can tell you if you're drunk by listening to your voice

2023-11-09
Daily Mail Online
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
An AI system is clearly involved, as the app uses machine learning and signal processing to analyze voice data and predict intoxication. The event concerns the development and testing of this AI system, with no reported harm or incident resulting from its use so far. The article discusses potential future applications that could prevent harm, but no harm or violation has occurred yet. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Hazard because the AI system's use could plausibly lead to an AI Incident (e.g., preventing alcohol-related harm), but no incident has yet materialized.
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Smartphones, smart speakers use voice analysis to find drunk drivers

2023-11-09
The Jerusalem Post
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The event involves the use of AI systems (machine learning models analyzing voice features) in a health-related application to detect intoxication. While the study shows potential for preventing harm (injury or death from drunk driving), no actual harm or incident has occurred yet. The AI system's use could plausibly lead to harm prevention, but the event is primarily about research and potential future application. Therefore, it qualifies as an AI Hazard, as the AI system's use could plausibly lead to an AI Incident (prevention of injury/death), but no harm or incident has yet occurred.
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Smartphones and smart speakers may be able to detect alcohol intoxication by analyzing voice patterns, says study

2023-11-09
Medical Xpress - Medical and Health News
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The event involves the use of AI systems (machine learning models analyzing voice data) in development and potential use for detecting intoxication. No harm has occurred yet, but the system could plausibly lead to prevention of harm by timely intervention. Since the article focuses on research findings and potential future applications without describing any realized harm or incident, it qualifies as Complementary Information. It provides context and insight into AI developments with implications for safety but does not report an AI Incident or AI Hazard.
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New Study Shows Your Phone Can Detect How Drunk You are, All Based on Your Voice

2023-11-10
Tech Times
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The event involves the use of AI systems (machine learning analyzing voice data) in a research context to detect intoxication. There is no direct or indirect harm reported from the AI system's use or malfunction. Instead, the study discusses potential future applications that could prevent harm. Therefore, this qualifies as Complementary Information, providing context and insights into AI capabilities and potential societal benefits, rather than reporting an AI Incident or Hazard.
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Smartphones and Smart Speakers May Be Able to Detect Alcohol Intoxication by Analyzing Voice Patterns: Study

2023-11-09
StreetInsider.com
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The event involves the use of an AI system (machine learning applied to voice pattern analysis) developed and tested to detect alcohol intoxication. While the study shows promising results, it does not report any actual harm or incidents caused by the AI system. Instead, it discusses potential future applications to prevent harm. Therefore, this is a plausible future risk mitigation tool rather than an incident or hazard. The article focuses on research findings and potential societal benefits, not on realized harm or imminent risk. Hence, it qualifies as Complementary Information, providing context and updates on AI development and its potential impact on health and safety.
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Smartphones and smart speakers may be able to detect alcohol intoxication by analyzing voice patterns: Study

2023-11-09
EurekAlert!
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The article involves an AI system that analyzes voice patterns to detect intoxication, which is a clear AI system involvement. The use of machine learning and signal processing to predict intoxication is described. However, the event is a research study demonstrating potential capabilities and accuracy, with no actual harm or incident reported. The article focuses on the potential for future harm prevention rather than any realized harm or malfunction. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Hazard, as the AI system's use could plausibly lead to prevention of harm, but no harm or incident has yet occurred.
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Drunk driving app can tell if someone is intoxicated by recording their voice

2023-11-09
Study Finds
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The article explicitly involves an AI system (machine learning and acoustic analysis) used to detect intoxication from voice data. However, it does not report any realized harm or incident caused by the AI system, nor does it describe a plausible risk of harm stemming from the AI system's development or use. Instead, it presents research findings and potential future applications aimed at preventing harm. This fits the definition of Complementary Information, as it enhances understanding of AI's role in health and safety interventions without describing an AI Incident or AI Hazard.
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Smartphones 'may be able to detect how drunk a person is with 98 per cent accuracy'

2023-11-09
The Herald
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The AI system is clearly involved as it uses machine learning and acoustic analysis to predict intoxication. There is no indication that the AI system has caused any injury, rights violation, or other harm. The article focuses on the potential positive use of the AI system to prevent harm rather than any realized or plausible harm. Hence, it does not meet the criteria for AI Incident or AI Hazard. It is not merely general AI news but a research finding with implications for future interventions, which fits best as Complementary Information.
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Smartphones could use your voice to detect if you're drunk

2023-11-09
Daily Journal
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The article involves an AI system (machine learning analyzing voice data) developed and used to detect intoxication. No actual harm or incident is reported; the research is at the study stage. The AI system's use could plausibly lead to harm prevention, but also potential misuse or privacy violations in the future. Since no harm has occurred yet, but plausible future harm or benefit is discussed, this fits the definition of an AI Hazard rather than an Incident or Complementary Information.
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Research: Smart Devices Might Detect Intoxication via Voice

2023-11-09
Mirage News
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The event describes the development and use of an AI system (machine learning analyzing voice features) that could plausibly lead to harm prevention by detecting intoxication and enabling timely interventions. No actual harm or incident has occurred yet, so it does not qualify as an AI Incident. The potential for this technology to prevent injury and death from intoxication-related accidents indicates a plausible future impact. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Hazard, as the AI system's use could plausibly lead to harm prevention or, if misused or malfunctioning, could also lead to harm in the future.
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Smartphones could use your voice to detect if you're drunk

2023-11-09
Courier-Tribune
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The event involves an AI system (voice analysis with machine learning) used to detect intoxication, which could plausibly lead to preventing harm (injury or death from drunk driving). Since no actual harm or misuse has occurred yet, and the system is still under study, it fits the definition of an AI Hazard rather than an AI Incident. The article focuses on research findings and potential future applications, not on a realized incident or harm. Hence, the classification is AI Hazard.