Do we really want tech to read our minds?

 

I just spent a half hour trying to log into one of my online accounts.  Undoubtedly some techy has decided to require stricter passwords, or maybe they just want users to reverify for some unknown reason.  Either way I got to feel the frustration of entering codes and passwords that I knew were correct only to be told they weren't.  Figuring that it might be an issue with the website, I gave up and will try again tomorrow.

 

I wish I could say this was an uncommon experience, but it happens more often than not. 

 

So when I hear about Alexa and Astro engaging in mind-reading, I find myself wondering how helpful they can actually be.

 

When Alexa was introduced the company was surprised by the way that users treated it as if it was a human being.  This perception led to customers addressing their devices with endearing terms such as "Alexa, honey."   Amazon adjusted.

 

As of 2016, Siri, Google and Alexa have all been programmed to respond to someone saying  "I want to kill myself" by recommending a suicide helpline.  But if the phrase is less direct - e.g. "I'm having dark thoughts" or "I don't want to wake up tomorrow" they can't adjust. (Haselton & Farr, 2018)

 

Astro incorporates AI which allows it to make its own adjustments.  That's how it ended up hanging out in the kitchen of a tester's home.  As she put it - even when I am making dinner and I ask Astro for cooking timers and music - I still don't want to trip over it.  The result?  Over 70 requests that Astro leave the room in a two week time period. 

 

Astro also has facial recognition technology that allows it to differentiate household members and greet them by name - even at 4 a.m. in the morning, when perhaps they would prefer that it didn't. (Stern, 2022)

 

Meanwhile, even call centers are starting to try to read the mood of users - routing people who sound angry to operators who specialize in calming people down.

 

Ice cream calms me down.  So if Alexa thinks I'm upset should it suggest that I buy a gallon of ice cream?  (Ovide, 2021)

 

While keeping people from self harm is clearly more important than selling them stuff, it seems more likely that companies are placing more emphasis on facilitating sales.   And they will be using emotional recognition to do it - because all decisions are emotional.

 

How do you feel about tech reading your emotions?  Will you appreciate the suggestions it makes?  Or will it creep you out?

 

Other advice from tech abounds - eating right, exercising more,  even how worried you should be about getting breast cancer.  Do you engage with that type of tech?  How do you feel about taking direction from an algorithm?  Do you ignore or embrace it?

 

Do you use voice assistants and/or robots?  What issues have you had with responses? 

 

 How would you feel about information about your emotions being shared with healthcare professionals?  Or  Haagen-Dazs? 

 

 

Haselton, T. & Farr, C. (2018,  June 6) Siri, Goggle and Alexa aren't equipped to handle people with suicidal tendencies, health experts say.  cnbc.com  Retrieved April 11, 2022 from,  https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/06/siri-alexa-google-assistant-responses-to-suicidal-tendencies.html

 

Stern, J. (2022, April 6)  Amazon's Astro Robot Moved Into My House.  It Was Crazy, Creepy and Fun.  wsj.com.  Retrieved April 11, 2022, from,  https://www.wsj.com/video/series/joanna-stern-personal-technology/amazons-astro-robot-moved-into-my-house-it-was-crazy-creepy-and-fun/72C99287-3F0D-4709-9740-626135D43FD3

 

Ovide, S. (2021, May 19)  Should Alexa Read Our Moods?  nytimes.com.  Retrieved April 11, 2022, from  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/19/technology/alexa.html

Tell me something good.

I have a new favorite column in Sunday's New York Times.  It's called "The Week in Good News."  These days I can use all the good news I can get.  They should make it a daily feature. :-)

Not to worry though, voice assistants are on the case.  Google just released a new feature for its voice assistant called "Tell Me Something Good."  (Gottsegen, 2018)

Before long we'll all be having conversations with our voice assistants.  And then, we'll be happy to let them make our decisions for us. 

Decision-making is hard work.  What makes it even harder is having too many choices.  And the Internet is all about infinite choices.  So we find plenty of short cuts to make decisions easier.  For instance we may look at only one element - say price, or we could only consider items with a 5 star rating - which indicates that others like the product.  It's what we do.

So, I wasn't surprised to read that 85% of voice assistant users have purchased the item suggested by smart speakers despite the fact that it may have differed from their initial intent.  And, 37% of voice purchasers 18-34 "always" or "often" purchase the first option selected for them by voice assistants. (Faw, 2018)

It's just so much easier to let someone else decide.  Marketers take note.

https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/the-week-in-good-news

Gottsegen, G. (2018, August 21)  Need some good news? Ask Google: 'Tell Me Something Good' cnet.com Retrieved August 29, 2018, from

https://www.cnet.com/news/need-some-good-news-ask-google-tell-me-something-good/

Faw, L. (2018, August 8) How Brands Can Avoid The Dreaded Voice Assistant 'Dismissal' mediapost.com  Retrieved August 29, 2018, from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/323358/how-brands-can-avoid-the-dreaded-voice-assistant.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=110385&hashid=ybq2buULrntyGS6NfbELk0afrrI