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Amazon is working on a wearable that can read your emotions, report says

How do you feel about that?

Shelby Brown Editor II
Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team. She covers tips and tricks for apps, operating systems and devices, as well as mobile gaming and Apple Arcade news. Shelby also oversees Tech Tips coverage. Before joining CNET, she covered app news for Download.com and served as a freelancer for Louisville.com.
Credentials
  • She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Shelby Brown
Amazon patent

An Amazon patent granted in 2018 describes ways for making Alexa more aware of your physical or emotional state.

Amazon/USPTO

Amazon is reportedly working on a health and wellness device that could figure out how you feel before you do. 

The e-commerce giant detailed a voice-activated wearable device that can recognize human emotion, according to internal documents obtained by Bloomberg. The wrist-worn gadget reportedly pairs with a smartphone app and uses microphones to decipher your emotional state based on your voice. The technology could eventually help people better interact with others, according to Bloomberg.

Amazon declined to comment.

It's unknown how far along Amazon is on the project, code-named Dylan. Bloomberg cited an anonymous source "familiar with the program" who said a beta testing program is underway, though it's not known whether the test includes the wearable device, the emotion-detecting software or both.

Amazon was granted a patent last October that described ways to make Alexa more aware of a user's physical or emotional state. A sketch from the US patent office shows a woman who's talking to her Alexa device. The voice assistant picks up on symptoms of a cold and suggests a recipe for chicken noodle soup or ordering cough drops for her. 

Security and privacy concerns could arise if the technology is fully realized. Amazon is taking heat already over its Rekognition technology. On Wednesday, two of the company's shareholders failed to pass proposals about the controversial facial recognition software after outcry from civil rights groups and activist investors.