On all smartphones today, there is voice recognition that help with daily activities, such as setting alarms or helping to send a text. This kind of technology is moving past smartphones and going into your home, with Amazon's Alexa and the Google Home, to help with other chores, like ordering groceries. Voice recognition is starting to expand into all parts of our world.
According to Forbes, there was a study done in Singapore about voice recognition among users in Singapore, where many users want voice recognition to expand into different areas, such as dressing rooms. However, one interesting aspect of the study done was that "a third of regular voice users have admitted to having a sexual fantasy about their voice assistant, which demonstrates just how easy it is to anthropomorphize this form of AI technology" (Forbes). Humans crave personal connections, and more and more people are finding this with their voice assistants in their phones. Our phones are constantly with us and things like Siri and Google Assistant make it seem like we have someone to listen to our requests.
Even Amazon is working to make their voice recognition software, Alexa, stronger by making it be able to recognize your emotions. They are also trying to have "Alexa better hold a conversation --remembering what a person has said previously, and applying that knowledge to subsequent interactions" (Technology Review). Having Alexa be able to recognize emotions will be a game changer for voice recognition devices, and how people will interact with these voice assistants.This technology and emotional attachment to voice assistants is explored in the movie, Her, which is about a man who develops a relationship with his voice assistant in his cell phone. With the study from Forbes about users in Singapore having sexual fantasies about their voice assistants, makes it seem that there could be more people who relate to this movie. This movie came out in 2013, and in the five years after this movie came out, voice recognition technology has only become more popular and more advanced (iMDB).
Is it possible that in the future, we will have stronger relationships with our voice recognition devices instead of actual people? While voice recognition has helped make life easier, it is important to remember that technology does not replace real human interaction.
Questions:
- Do you believe that the advancement of voice recognition technology will cause future generations to develop stronger relationships with their cell phones?
- How often do you use your voice technology on your phone?
- Is the advancement of voice recognition technology bettering our society?
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/herbertrsim/2017/11/01/voice-assistants-this-is-what-the-future-of-technology-looks-like/#582bd5b3523a
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601654/amazon-working-on-making-alexa-recognize-your-emotions/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/
1. Yes, I do, but I view this phenomena as a side effect of voice recognition technology. I view this growing relationship with our devices as negative because of our increasing reliance and dependability on technology. As an MIS major, my points seems a bit hypocritical, but I actively try to not rely on my cell phone.
ReplyDelete2. I solely use voice recognition to dial my contacts, so not very often. I normally use this function when my hands are tied or I'm too lazy to look up their number. The funny thing is many of my contacts have Mexican names, which makes it difficult for voice recognition.
3. Overall, I think it is making our society better. I'm excited to think of the next level of voice recognition once the technology is more advanced. Although, I have to take into account the downside of voice recognition. I love the fact that you talked about the movie, Her, because the central theme of the movie is loneliness. Loneliness is a terrible feeling that I encountered normally growing up. I hope that voice recognition doesn't take the same route as the movie, as it would cajole individuals into pretenses.
Hi Jorge,
DeleteThank you for replying! There were a couple of key points that I am glad you brought up in your comments. I had not thought of nor found in my research about different accents or people with names of a different ethnicity to be difficult for voice recognition. However, I believe that will improve in the future with voice recognition technology.
Another point I liked, was the point about loneliness with Voice Recognition technology. With phones being so ingrained in our daily lives, it can become easy to rely on the voice to act as a friend. But I am with you, that I hope this does not happen to people in the future.
Hi Alex,
ReplyDeleteI believe that the advancement of voice recognition technology will cause future generations to develop stronger relationships with their cell phones because as technology improves so will our ability to communicate with them. I believe that it will get to the point where we could have a full on conversation with our smartphones.
I use my voice technology on my phone probably once a day. I find it very useful when my hands are tied up. The, "hey siri" feature has been extremely helpful for me.
I think the advancement of voice recognition technology is bettering our society because it helps people perform their daily tasks either. I think it also will help people practice their communication skills.
I recently watched Her and it seemed extremely weird, but I also believe that it could happen. Once AI is able to pass the Turing Test and communicate emotions we will see these relationships. With that said, I do believe people will eventually develop relationships with their cellphones and devices. Personally, I don't use voice recognition because Siri and Alexa can be unreliable. I think this move toward voice recognition is exciting and can really be beneficial to many people once it is fully developed.
ReplyDelete