Smart University?

Soon, Saint Louis University students won’t be able to

avoid Amazon’s near ubiquitous smart speakers. The

university announced this week a plan to outfit living

spaces with 2,300 Echo Dots. The devices are set to be

deployed by the time classes start, later this month.

SLU is quick to note that it’s “the first college or university

in the country to bring Amazon Alexa-enabled devices,

managed by Alexa for Business, into every student residence

hall room and student apartment on campus.” It’s certainly

not the first to adopt Amazon’s smart speakers, but it’s among

the largest scale for this sort of deployment.

While the product has become a mainstay in plenty of

American homes, it does seem like an odd choice dorms

and student campus. SLU has worked with Alexa for

Business to create 100 custom questions, including, “What

time does the library close tonight?” and “Where is the

registrar’s office?”