Hi, everyone. Welcome to Week 11. We’re excited to share with you the light and dark sides of Siri and her Siblings, artificial intelligence voice assistants (AIVAs). In exploring the pros and cons of these smart assistants in the contexts of Education, Accessibility, Entertainment & Global Use, Gender, and Security, we hope to entice you to consider ways to include – or avoid – AIVAs in your life.
Start by navigating to our site (be sure to turn your speakers up before heading over!) and take our compatibility test to determine if you instinctively fall more on the light or dark side of AIVAs. Then, complete all three of the following tasks to see if you find an alternate side to these smart assistants.
Your Challenge
Take on a portion of your week using a smart assistant. Commit to a day, a part of a day or a part of your life where you’ll push your usage beyond where you are currently. Connect with others, teach others, and consider your usage through the lens(es) of your choosing: education, accessibility, entertainment & global use, gender, and/or security. Try something new this week with your good friend Siri or one of her siblings.
Your Homework
Use our resources to explore the lighter (or darker) side of AIVAs. You can focus on one topic area of interest (e.g., education, accessibility, etc.) or explore all of them. Read through the resources and complete your assignment.
Note: if the compatibility test determined you were already on the ‘dark’ side, you’ll be guided to explore the ‘light’ side first, and vice versa.
Your Assignment
Post about your experience, either here in the ETEC 523 discussion thread or on our website Discussion Forum, keeping in mind the questions below. Read and respond to others’ experiences. For AT LEAST one of your communications, create your post or respond to someone else’s using voice-to-text. Let everyone know that you are doing so by starting your post with “I am using voice-to-text to write this post” (and resist the urge to edit).
The Questions
- Did you agree with the side (light or dark) you were placed in?
- Describe your experience using voice to text in a part of your life?
- After reading some information that was designed to challenge your thinking, how do you think your perception of the topic has changed?
- What are some connections you can draw between the resources that were presented and your current professional context?
- What are the applications and/or repercussions for this being applied to an educational setting?
Enjoy!
Ryan Mckenzie, Alexis McKinty, Cody Peters, Miguel Rojas, & Melissa Santo
https://mckenzieinc.wixsite.com/siriandsiblings
Voice to text Sam I am using voice recorder to create this response. Well did I agree with the light side or dark side I was placed in? Yes, very much so I unabashedly have sought to bring Smart Home Tech into my home and personal life. I use Alexa to create lists control lights and assist with simple appliances in my home. I like to think that this is simple nerd wish-fulfillment from the days when I would watch Star Trek as a kid but I am weary that part of it is surely due to my own laziness and desire to optimize my personal time. Nevertheless I do think it is accurate to say that I am an optimist or a light cider when it comes two interpretations of artificial intelligence and voice assistance.
In terms of my experience using voice to text text in a part of your life I sometimes have to train students and its usage. In much the same way that students do I am currently using Google Docs Voice to Text tool to complete this assignment. well quite efficient in recording a body of text, the grammar is often absent Open Bracket in fact I’m having to add it manually now as I speak close bracket.
Admittedly some of the dark side subject matter was rather difficult to read. The numerous lapses in accessibility were particularly troubling, as some of my direct family have hearing difficulties that would prevent them from using these devices. furthermore, the negative connotations of a voice assistant Open Bracket or servant depending on your interpretation close bracketWho is female are apparent to me now and I could have conceived of prior to this over however this is troubling as I would not want any of these associations to be made about other women in my life. New paragraphs
In terms of connections to my personal professional context, I do find that Siri and her siblings are making ever greater strides in to K to 12 education. As a math teacher we often encourage students not to jump to their calculator, but in recent years I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon: students are jumping to Siri in much the same way that they had previously jumped to their phone on their calculator. This has me concerned that’s good in Smite someday lock even the technical capability to operate a calculator, though those same students might say that such a skill will become irrelevant once an AI is Advanced enough to understand what they want to do.
Do the applications are indeed many for an educational context, I am concerned that ever greater integration of AI will lead to a student body lacking in personal technical competencies. I think that students can and should leverage technology to be both producers and not solely consumers of Technology. through every great industrial innovation, humans have invented new forms of work to replace those supplanted by novel Technologies and perhaps the same is true in the age of AI and I am an Antiquated Aldi for worrying this much. that being said, I think in an age where big brother has been invited in through are voice assistants it behooves us to teach students the critical thinking skills necessary to keep themselves safe online and in the presence of these Ava assistance.
Hi team! I am using voice to text to write this post. I was placed in the dark side and I totally agree with it because I don’t have much experience in using Siri or her siblings. I had a hard time trusting Siri or her siblings because I often feel like they are putting my privacy under risks by listening to my personal conversations without permissions. Also I find that sometimes the voice recognition technology has a hard time identifying what I’m trying to say. After interacting with Siri on my phone for one day, it’s easy for me to see the convenience of using this innovated technology. I do see the value of using voice to text technology in supporting student writing. AIVAs can also guide students at any time they need it. Your OER has changed my view about the topic.
Hello Trista, I appreciate you taking the time to participate in our OER. Regarding what you mentioned on privacy risk and safety, it is a very complex and controversial topic that we did our best to address in our project, but definitely something many people who use Siri are concerned about. However, it is very important to understand that in order for this technology to learn and evolve, it has to listen. When you purchase a device that uses AIVAs, you are also agreeing to the terms and conditions of the software: https://www.apple.com/ca/legal/sla/ . You definitely have been given the choice by Apple to have the ability to turn off Siri, hence not worry about any privacy of information breach. It is important to recognize that if we had been concerned about the internet spying on us (which many still are) you wouldn’t be using it at work or for school. I believe we have to believe that these companies trying to evolve technology are not out to get us but to help us in our everyday life tasks. Regarding your second point of Siri not perfect in its ability to listen or accurately function in the desired ways of the user, I would like to point out that you are one of the first people to see the beginning of the history of AIVAs (like the first TV ever made). Many years from now (just like we have advanced plasma curved 4K HD display) we will have advanced AIVAs capable of understanding human speech perfectly, having thoughtful conscious conversations, and typing down our thoughts better than we can possibly think them. I am very happy to hear that our OER has changed your view about this topic!
Did you agree with the side (light or dark) you were placed in?
Yes, I was expecting to be on the dark side considering that I had never really used Siri on my phone before. I remember trying once to set a reminder, having that reminder be set for the wrong time, and then turning off the Siri function.
Describe your experience using voice to text in a part of your life?
I found it to be rather cumbersome to remember to use Siri at first, but as the week went on it became a little more convenient. The issue for me however was that that’s how it seemed to me at best; a slight convenience. I timed the difference between setting an over timer manually on my phone versus using Siri, and the difference was about 3 seconds. The one time it was the most useful however was when I had my hands covered in raw chicken and I could just use my voice to set the oven timer, but in the end this probably saved me about a minute at best instead of washing my hands first.
After reading some information that was designed to challenge your thinking, how do you think your perception of the topic has changed?
I have to admit that my thoughts on AI haven’t changed after either the readings or the trial run of using AI this week. At the moment, I see the use of AI like Siri as being mainly a simply convenience, and the questions of equal accessibility and data storage make me question the validity of the tool in the classroom at the moment. I was intrigued by some of the future possibilities like AI-tutoring and AI-for assessment, but I’ll need to see them used as more than conveniences before hopping on board the bandwagon.
What are some connections you can draw between the resources that were presented and your current professional context? + What are the applications and/or repercussion for this being applied to an educational setting?
I’m interested to see how AI-assessment develops, especially when it comes to writing corrections through algorithms. We already have the red underline on Microsoft Word for spelling and grammar, but can AI develop to the point where it can detect if you’re straying away from your thesis statement? Could it determine if your argument has enough evidence? I have no idea if these are realistic possibilities, but I worry about the subjectivity and non-perfection of writing if AI were to become more heavily involved in more than spelling and grammar. Before the printing press, spelling and grammar weren’t standardized, and the monks who would transcribe documents could spell the same word three different ways in a single sentence. I worry that if AI were to regulate writing, there would be a similar effect of “restricting” of other ways of writing an essay.
Hello Liam, thank you for participating in our OER. Being in the darks side does not necessarily mean that you should be placed there for not suing AIVAs regularly, rather more about what you think of this technology. Although the technology has a long ways to go, it does come in handy when we have our hands full, like you said while cooking. However, I do agree that it is still very glitchy and slow. Please keep in mind that we’re only talking about Siri, this AIVAs is actually quite behind in its technology. Checkout this website on the ranking of current AIVAs: https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-best-voice-assistant/ You may think differently of their potential if you were to try these different voice assistants; no different than trying different pair of shoes or driving different cars. I agree with you regarding the convenience of this technology. I personally fall under the dark side because I believe that this type of technology may negatively affect peoples moving desires. I don’t like the idea of this technology becoming too reliable that it ends up doing us too much of a favor. For instance, your example about AIVA’s correcting a thesis statement, I believe that takes away from the learning experience, the ability to problem solve and put effort into thinking. I certainly believe that this technology can and will help with writing, as long as we don’t learn to rely on it too much. At this point I believe this would be more of an AI rather than AIVAs. Research shows that writing and typing are essential skills for processing ideas and enhancing memory. I fear that this technology is slowly taking away a part of our skills and abilities that makes us learning machines.
This was an interesting experimenting. Thanks for that. I was placed initially on the dark side, which I’d agree with. For a long time, I’ve been frustrated by AIVAS not understanding what I was saying or finding anything that was truly of use to me. It also was unsettling when I realized that things I had spoken about, near my device, started showing up in ads that I was seeing online. That admittedly was a disturbing wake up call that I was being listened to and my words were being used in a way that I don’t remember consenting to. For the last little while, this has been my main wariness with AIVAS. I also don’t like how some are tied to credit cards and ask you to okay purchasing songs. This could get badly misused by other people okaying a purchase. In experimenting this week, I was impressed that Siri understood me better and with Siri’s ease in beginning map searches for me and beginning to direct me to a local. This I could see using more regularly. I was also impressed by voice to text dictation, which I may begin to use more, but would love to know if there is a way to dictate punctuation and paragraph breaks. I’m not sure about using this for texts and emails though, due to privacy concerns on personal conversations. Finally I experimented with using Siri to find me the best pizza place in my local, and was sent all the worst ones, demonstrating how data can be manipulated and why conscious thought is important. Needless to say, I will not be asking Siri’s advice in satiating my palate again any time soon. That said, I am very much enjoying asking Siri to tell me stories now, thanks to your OER.
Hello Erica, thank you so much for participating in our OER. I think most people understand your frustration with new technology, but we need to be conscious of the fact that its simply new and has so much space to still evolve and reach its full potential. Security, as we mentioned in our project, is definitely a concern among many users, but for this machine to learn and evolve it needs to listen. I agree that this is still not an excuse for any breach of personal information, but we need to be conscious that we accept the terms and conditions when we buy a device that uses AIVAs. I am glad to see that you also look at the bright side of how this technology has been advancing over the years. To answer your question about how to verbally ask for punctuation through voice commands, I can tell you that there are guides on google on how to do so; however, there are still limitations like asking for paragraph breaks, backspace, change between caps, and other detailed commands that can only be modified manually. The voice to text dictation is very new and still has many flaws that are being address daily by developers. We definitely have the choice of when to use Siri, if you don’t feel comfortable using Siri for personal or private situations then it is better to avoid such circumstances, but if it can be of any use in other situations, then might as well use its capabilities.
Hello Team,
I really enjoyed how you invited us to reflect on our behaviour before learning more about your subject. I have to admit that I would rather have had at least three levels because I feel like being in the gray zone. I tried using Siri more than habitual this week; however, I found battery consumption as the main drawback. It seems that my phone was spending too much battery paying attention to me. Otherwise, I really enjoyed your OER and I found some interesting information. I was skeptical about the use of Siri and her siblings in education, but you provide some good examples. The best thing I enjoyed from your OER was the reflection about the advantages and disadvantages of this technology. Good job!
Hello Desi I am just testing out voice to text hence the reason why it just spelled your name wrong time and Y there is absolutely no punctuation in this paragraph does anybody know by the way how to add punctuation aside from physically doing so into a voice to text record if so I would love to know how to do that anyhow this is looking very garbled so one interesting thing I learned from your response there Desi is I didn’t know it impacted your battery power so yeah I’m going to get a kind of experiment with that with my devices in and see Sammy I’m sure it does suck up your battery power but I’ve had mine plugged in my opinion using it so I didn’t didn’t come in
Hello Erica, there are a few punctuation commands you can say out loud to Siri like “period” or “comma”. If you want to learn more commands check out this website https://www.siriuserguide.com/siri-dictation-guide/ and here is also some information on Siri battery usage and a few ways to solve the “bug” issue https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251056404 . Thank you for participating in our OER!
Hello Deisy, thank you for engaging with our OER. On this apple discussion forum you can find some information on why Siri takes up battery power and how to fix the problem with a few quick tips: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251056404 . Any new technology always draws a lot of power, hence why developers always introduce an “upgraded battery” as a new feature in every new phone, because they have to. I am glad to hear you enjoyed and absorbed a lot of the information we provided. I agree with you, I believe this technology is still to new to introduce much of it in an educational setting. I am sure several people have found ways of taking advantage of Siri in Education but it is not very common yet.
Hey Team, I was put on the dark side, which I would strongly agree with. I do use SIRI but only in the privacy of my home or car. I have had issues with it not accurately picking up my voice, as well as, activating when it shouldn’t be, but my lack of usage stems from a hesitancy to use it in public. I do not like adding unneccesary noise to the space I am in and would rather type my google search, then for example, say it out loud in the grocery store line up. Although, I predict my hesitancy will lower as I see others adopting public usage. I do see the benefits, especially while multitasking; my highest usage is when I am cooking to set a timer. Your piece on accessibility and the ability to do productive tasks without opening your phone is a strong benefit I had not considered. This is great for all students (and me), not just students with ASD.
Hi Katherine,
I’m glad you agree with how our survey placed you on the dark side of AVAIs. Did you find that browsing those resources from the light side of education (such as the benefits for students with accessibility challenges) changed any of your intial assumptions/feelings or how you might engage with AIVAs moving forward? I too have some reservations about using Siri/Alexa for voice commands in public settings (ie. work, public transit, etc). Many members of our group agreed that their children and younger students seem much more inclined to openly/publicly use voice commands and voice to text features of their Smartphones and tablets, perhaps because they are so used to having the technology at hand. I wonder if there truly is a generational difference there or whether we’re overgeneralizing. Any thoughts?
Hi Katherine,
I was also on the ‘dark side’ (which I agree with) and frequently use my AIVA (a Google home) for timers in the kitchen and to play music from Spotify. |
On the “light side” I was really intrigued by the information about gender bias of the female voices. I hadn’t thought of this before (or in a long while) and I promptly endeavored to change my AIVA’s voice to male. There were quite a few different voices to chose from, and most were pleasant sounding. I wonder how companies produce these voices and decide which ones to release….I mainly wanted to jump in here and reflect on the question Alexis posed because I was motivated by the section about “accessibility” which explained how using verbal commands can help people with ADHD because they don’t have to look at the apps. and potentially be distracted by them. Brilliant! I’ve actually noticed that recently I’ve been getting inordinately distracted by app. notifications on my phone, so I enabled the mobile assistant and tried using it to check the time, weather and anything I could think for a few days this week. It WAS really effective, especially for checking the time. However, the assistant seems too sensitive and was constantly turning on while I was out walking for seemingly no reason. I eventually had to turn the “listen” function off because of this, which meant I had to press a button on the screen to use voice commands. I also found the functionality of Google’s assistant quite limited. For example, if I asked it to check my messages, it just opens my messaging app and doesn’t actually respond back to me and describe any information. I actually REALLY like using voice commands and voice-to-text. I’ve gotten into the habit of using voice-to-text frequently for sending messages and dictating notes and find it very accurate and convenient. (more so than my atrocious texting skills on a digital keyboard) I can’t wait for the functionality of digital assistants to expand because I think I’d use it more if it was just a little easier to do ANYTHING or at least have a conversation about doing anything.
Hi Group Siri, I really enjoyed your presentation and the interactive element you bought to it, after completing the survey I realized on I am on the dark side. A different dimension to security. sometimes people just think about protecting your home but are not seeing the dangers of strangers you let into your space at home. It’s amazing what algorithms can do!
Siri and her siblings can also provide security protection for children in navigating online activities. Apple introduced child safety features that can help to limit the exposure of Child Sexual Abuse Material. When a child searches for information Siri intervenes through the use of Siri and search. This will alert parents and children when they try to search for unsafe topics apple.com/child-safety/
Hello Analesa, thank you for your response and happy to hear you enjoyed our OER. Security is definitely a crucial topic and one that we discussed about in depth in our presentation. I don’t think the programmers are out too get us if not help us. These machines need to be able to listen in order to evolve. There are many companies (like credit cards) that will protect you in case of breach into your account due to hackers. There is also cyber police that will protect you against identify theft. I personally don’t mind if AIVA is lightening because i have nothing to hide or be worried about, if anything, I hope it can be use to find people we should be worried about like hackers and other criminals. So, yes, like you said, this type of technology can do a lot of good but we need to not leave in fear. This type of technology has to be able to evolve in order to help use more.
Hello, good work AIVAs team.
I am using voice to text for this response. I was placed on the Darkside and I won hundred percent agree with my placement. I don’t use a lot of voice to text applications in my day-to-day life. This has been purposeful mainly because of a cynicism towards Possible privacy and security issues with the software that may be real or perceived by myself but I am starting to see the value of using voice to text in educational settings. One time that I have use voice to text was in another course and because of that I’m noticing that this particular voice to text response is a lot more accurate than the first time that I used voice to text. The first time that I used voice to text I did not ask the software to use punctuation and I am more aware of talking at a slower pace and annunciating my words more clearly. Currently I am finishing up a unit with my middle school students and they were collaboratively writing a story. They did this through a shared Google dock by typing into it but next time I teach this unit I would be interested in seeing if voice to text software would be beneficial for this assignment. As it works now each student would get a certain amount of time to write their part of the story and when their time is up the next person would continue the story and the other people their job is to read the story as it is being written I wonder if people were speaking into a voice to text document would this change how they wrote the story. I’m very curious to try to save next time. After reading some of the information on this site I can also see a few applications that may benefit EAL students and I am going to see if I can try to use voice to text when working with them as well. The text you were reading is unedited and this is purposeful to show the somewhat true results of my voice to text attempt. I say somewhat true as the software edited out all my ummmms and other thinking sounds.
Hi Chris. Thanks for your (mostly) unedited voice to text response! The collaborative story writing project sounds like a very creative opportunity for testing out voice to text in the classroom. With Siri and her siblings, many are now offering predictive text/answers based on just a few words; how do you think that functionality would impact this assignment (pros/cons)? You also mentioned you can see some benefits for EAL students, and I’m sure many people would be curious to know specifics – are you willing to share any connections you’ve made between the information and your own experiences with EAL students?
Hi Melissa. I am not currently offering predictive text/answers based on just a few words but I like the idea of using that as a provocation. It could be a great conversation starter. I was thinking of using the software more to transcribe what the students say as they tell their stories. I notice that some students are not able to type their thoughts as quickly as they can speak them. Since the activity is a verbal brainstorm really there is no pressure on the draft being perfect as it can and should be edited later.
I guess a few of the thoughts that I had towards using text to speech technology with EAL students would be to have them speak their thoughts and have them transcribed. For beginner English language learners I wonder if they were to speak in their mother tongue and have the text translated to English would they be able to express more of their knowledge than if they were only asked to do so in English. It may also help to have their translated text read aloud by an AI voice to hear the pronunciation of the words in their text. But the chosen AI voice would have to be carefully chosen and appear as natural as possible.
I often direct all students to use an online dictionary when they encounter a word that they are unsure of as many online dictionaries offer the function of hearing the word pronounced. They often get to choose the gender and accent depending on the site which allows the student to hear the word spoken in multiple ways as would often be the case in everyday life.
I am using voice to text to write this post and I was placed on the dark side. I have never written anything for school or work with voice to text. The only down side is I have to edit this because voice to text is not 100% accurate. When I’m driving I use Siri to make calls out. I agree with the survey – being put on the dark side because I am not experienced with it. I went to my friend’s house yesterday and all her lights were synced to her Google Home. I was so entertained because she could sit in one spot and turn on all the lights in the house. The next thing she is going to install is a blinds system where the blinds will open and close with the sound of her voice. My parents also use voice activated Google to play music, get quick news updates, weather reports, and set timers. The challenge that I see when they use it is that Google does has a hard time understanding people speaking with an accent. I heard Siri or Google is now able to understand Mandarin, but that is not the language that we speak. If there could be more languages that Siri and her sisters can understand that would be beneficial to many people.
I don’t use voice to text at work because I work in an open office and if everyone used this function, the office will be so distracting and loud! I find that there is this added pressure because when I use voice to text for work, my thoughts have to be coherent and then sentences have to make sense. I always type emails or documents and then go back and edit. I find typing my thoughts and editing is easier than using voice to text and going back to edit by typing. It feels like double the amount of work. Does any feel the same way? The bright side of using voice to text is that the system knows how to spell! I don’t have to check spelling unless the system misunderstood me.
Hello Sarah, thank you for your response and participating in our OER. I agree with you about in inaccuracy of voice to text but we are currently experiencing the “first TV” model that ever came out and will take a few decades to perfect the technology it uses. It is quite amazing how some people have really adapted the use of this technology in their houses and some people don’t even know most of the common Siri commands. In terms of AIVA language support please check out this link that may provided you with more information on how programmers are working on managing these issues regarding accents, languages, and speech recognition https://summalinguae.com/language-technology/language-support-voice-assistants-compared/ This all developed and will continue developing with speech data collection, hence people who are skeptical about security don’t understand that in order for this to evolve this machine has to listen. Here is another link that you can further explore on the topic of how AIVA is evolving to the meet the needs of all individuals https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S088523082100098Xv So, although AIVA cant do a lot of tasks it can still do and help in ways we could never imagine. I believe we are trained and so accustomed to typing and writing along with our thoughts that it will take some time before we can effectively and efficiently do the same with AIVAs. For now, we do need to go back and fix what the AIVA did not do well, especially in important emails or other professional documents. I believe its no different than moving from a manual (shift) car to an automatic car to now a self driven car. Everything has its pros and cons, and everyone has their own preferences, and everything has its limitations; thus AIVA will be good for some situations and not the best for others.
Excellent work, Team Siri & Friends!
I hadn’t considered how Siri and her siblings could enhance my day-to-day life. I’m not sure yet, which of my problems/irritations an AIVA could solve! My children used Siri, particularly when they couldn’t write, for looking up facts. The idea of having my own Janet (for any fans of The Good Place) might be glorious, particularly as I get older and my memory fades. As such, I landed on the dark side!:)
I recognize that there are many practical applications of AI assistants and AI-based technologies in Education and Health.
The following quote from your Accessibility write-up in The Light Side section highlights how AIVA can help people: “People with ADHD can add an event or check their calendar with a simple verbal command, avoiding the distraction of opening their phone and seeing all of their apps.”
AIVA devices have the potential to help, but they can also frustrate people. As highlighted in the article you linked to, Digital Assistants: The Future of ADHD Support, “The level of energy and work needed is often a barrier to getting it [the AIVA device] where someone can use it easily.” (1) Essentially if learners don’t have the proper educational support (e.g., someone who can show them how to use the AIVA) or learners find it difficult to remember complicated commands, they’ll abandon the AIVA device. It is clear, the benefits of AI are significant, and the technology will improve over time. I would love to see AIVA evolve to the point that it extends our working memory!
It was unsettled to learn that voice assistants (and AI Bots) reinforce gender bias. With digital assistants expected to outnumber humans in the next three years (2), what can be done to eliminate biases in this technology? Perhaps more robust industry standards are required, or more diversity and female representation on teams that create AIVA devices is needed? In terms of incorporating AI into a corporate, educational setting, I could see AIVA enhancing the Chatbot experience. For example, learners could pause a course and ask out loud a question about the content. Alternatively, learners on the go could use an AIVA to help them curate a video or podcast they could listen to as they’re driving.
(1) https://chadd.org/adhd-weekly/digital-assistants-the-future-of-adhd-support/
(2) https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2020/12/09/voice-assistants-have-a-gender-bias-problem-what-can-we-do-about-it/
Hello Elizabeth! I really like your acknowledgement of the need for newcomers to have some level of support or learning structures to help them navigate and utilize an AIVA to its full extent; I think you are right in that when users become confused or frustrated at either a lack of intuitive use or their own ability to utilize the functions of an AIVA, they tend to abandon it. As for your question regarding what can be done to avoid gender, or other, biases within these devices, I do not really have a concise response for this. I think that we as consumers need to make it known that we want a more inclusive and non-bias-enforcing system from the creators, and that be voicing our concerns and expressing the desire for more inclusivity within the fields of AIVAs, we can hopeful bring this matter to light in the development or commercial aspects of these devices. I do like your concept of incorporating these systems into chatbot-eque learning environments wherein students can voice a query in real time rather than having to wait for an appropriate moment or pause, as having the chance to gain clarity or resolve a question right when you have it can help maintain one’s engagement with materials, and can also help prevent the need to wait or focus on something whilst a lesson progresses without your needs being answered. Additionally, like you mention, the ability to curate or dig deeper into a piece of media, such as a podcast or presentation, whilst driving or performing another action can help maintain the flow of concertation and mitigate abrupt stops or shifts in focus.
I am currently responding to this post using Siri. I was initially placed on the Darkside in your task. I don’t use Siri very often because I find it hard in my noisy household to use and it picks up on other peoples’ words that are being said around me. I do use it when driving because I find it helpful for hands free driving. I found your project very engaging. I was surprised by the section on gender bias in a AIVA’s I was not familiar or hadn’t considered this before. I believe that as we become more open to the integration of such digital tools, we do need to be mindful that we are not taking a step back in social justice issues. Adfitionally, I found the website that was connected to a previous post on tips on how to use Siri very helpful. I was unfamiliar with some of those prompts that can be used when using dictation. I find that my children all use Siri far more frequently and with more ease than myself. I believe that this is due to having AirPods which make that communication far easier and less cumbersome. I envision that as we increase the amount of tools students are equipped with dictation and having AIVA’s in our spaces will be more seamless. Thank you for your thought-provoking and engaging work I’ve learned a lot and you’ve pushed my thinking. I’m now going to correct the mistakes from the dictation 🙂
Hi Grace! Thank you for your reply – we are glad there were some valuable takeaways from our OER. Like you, I was totally surprised by my unawareness of the gender biases inherent in the design of Siri and many of her siblings. So much so that it has prompted my next personal read (“Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men” by Caroline Criado-Perez). Reserching for this OER also opened my eyes to how few of Siri and Alexa’s skills that I actually take advantage of. Were there any on the list that you might start integrating into your daily life?
I am using voice to text to write this post.
I was placed on the dark side of Siri and her siblings. I would absolutely agree with this placement because I rarely use it on my phone. I do have a Google home that I used to use a little bit but I stopped using it because it would turn on at odd times and I did have the feeling that I was constantly being listened to. I know that that’s the whole point of it but it just felt funny. Security and privacy are a concern of mine when it comes to artificial intelligent voice assistants, apparently. I occasionally use voice to type for work and for my grad classes. The more I use it the more comfortable I get with it, but I find I’m still so wired to write my thoughts in this context instead of speaking my thoughts. This is really good practice, though. The more I do use voice to text the better I’m getting at it. I do have to go back and do quite a bit of editing though, but I do that with my writing anyhow. I really liked all of the different practical applications that AIVAs can be used for in education. For example, I hadn’t considered it being used for students with learning challenges, autism, or ADHD, and I think that this would be greatly helpful. I have had my kids use voice assistants for spelling and knowledge research questions in the past. I am glad that you brought up the issue of where Siri and her siblings are getting this information (ie. how reliable is it?). In our own household, my partner and I rarely if ever use Siri or her siblings. I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard my sixteen-year-old daughter use them, however, my 13-year-old son always uses Siri on his iPhone to send texts and to search for content.
The question about some connections I can draw between the resources that were presented and my current professional context is very interesting to me and actually relates to my forecasting assignment topic in which I wish there was a very simple, utilitarian application that could help young students use artificial intelligence voice assistants to help them with their emergent writing skills. As you pointed out, however, these AI voice assistants can have difficulties with recognizing young children’s commands and voices. And of course, there are many students who are ESL and have accents which are hard for these tools to decipher as well. I really enjoyed going through this resource, I thought it was really well laid out, clear, and concise. In taking you up on your challenge, I plan on using AIVAs more over the next couple of days for work and for some of my upcoming assignments. Thanks, Team!
Hi Kendall, happy to hear you’re going to try a few more things this week. I’ve started experimenting with some more commands on my watch and phone since we started this project. I appreciate looking at my devices screen much less using some of these features but hopefully that doesn’t get me in trouble. For your Google Home, you can go check the history which can give a bit of insight as to what it hears. You can also set further security settings in the app. “For Google Home, open the Google Home app and navigate to “My Activity.” By pressing the clock icon here. You can also go to the menu, click “More Settings,” and scroll all the way down to “My Activity.” You will see a list of everything you have ever asked it” (https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-delete-recorded-audio-history-google-home-and-amazon-echo-alexa-2017-7#:~:text=For%20Google%20Home%2C%20open%20the,listen%20by%20clicking%20%22Play.%22). I like to think that puts my mind at ease for what it hears but there is always that question of what else it is listening to and not documenting publicly. For your grad work, have you used the readers that will read your text back to you? I have found that extremely powerful to hear the subtle changes in tone, tempo and even misusing a tense in my writing. These AIVAs are becoming more intuitive and the good ones have intonation and ignore many of the abstract artifacts in the writing. One key tip here is to find a voice and reading speed that you can live with. I attribute this to selecting the right font.
I am using voice to text to write this post (although I have edited as the accuracy was questionable). I was placed on the dark side. I have used this technology in the past, but I have many concerns related to privacy so I tend not use them. I would say the survey placed me in the appropriate category.
The voice to text technology continues to improve. I hadn’t given them much thought in relation to education. Mostly, I see them as an effective marketing tool with potential to support the needs of some users beyond marketing. In my work context, we are considering bots to assist academic services to connect and assist prospective and current students. Currently, privacy concerns slow down the adoption of this sort of technology in education.
Thank you team for the interesting journey to learn more about smart assistants.
Hi Sam. We’re glad you feel our survey placed you accurately. In addition to the privacy concerns related to the adoption of bots for supporting students, what other barriers do you think you might face? How do you feel when you’re pushed to a chatbot for support? Do you think incoming students will feel similarly in this context, or will they respond differently? Do you think it will be more effective for supporting certain topics vs others? Why or why not?
Chatbots can be an effective tool. Georgia State University has been experimenting with such technology with some success.
https://mainstay.com/case-study/how-georgia-state-university-supports-every-student-with-personalized-text-messaging/
https://dilab.gatech.edu/test/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/evaluation_of_modern_tools_for_an_omscs_advisor_chatbot1.pdf
It has been my experience that people like personalized experiences, but with hundreds or even thousands of users that simply is feasible.
Bots are one way to address the needs of many, but not all users.
Hi Sam. I use this feature when sending messages to others while driving. I find it extremely useful when you want to send someone an urgent email but you cannot afford to put your hands off the steering wheel. I want to say that voice-to-text has come a long way, and I remember using this feature years ago. I have to confess that it was not as accurate and efficient as it is today. While using the GPS, Google notifies me that I received a message from my mom on Whatsapp, “Do you want to reply?” I say yes, and I dictate the message, and it is sent to my mom in no time without me touching my phone. That has saved me much time and trouble. Automatic Speech Recognition ASR is an essential feature that AIVA’s can provide, especially for people with special needs.
I am using voice to text to write this post, I apologize in advance ! I really enjoyed reading both sides of aivas. I found the section on gender to be quite eye-opening and I believe your team addressed important issues I had never thought about when it comes to Siri and her siblings. After taking the quiz, I was placed in the dark side, which I completely agree with. I do not use smart assistance in any aspect of my life. Therefore, for the last three days, I tried to change my habits and use any smart assistant device I had at my disposal: Siri and an Amazon Alexa I had received as a gift but had never used. For the past few days, I have had an extremely hard time using smart assistance and caught myself multiple times researching or making notes on my phone instead of using Siri or Alexa. I am definitely going to keep trying to incorporate smart assistance into my life since your site definitely brought some strong arguments for its use! Great job ! (note: I added punctuation marks without using Siri…still a work in progress)
Hello Joelle, I am happy to hear that our section on gender to be eye-opening and that our team addressed important issues regarding this matter. Most people do not use AIVAs as much as developers would like to, especially because it’s still very early in its time and many people are still adapting to the idea of talking to a machine. I am glad to hear you got to unbox your Siri and Amazon Alexa! I am sure you and them will grow close to each other, perhaps even become best friends! If you want to learn more commands check out this website https://www.siriuserguide.com/siri-dictation-guide/
I am using voice to text right this post I was placed on the dark side of Siri and I agree with where I was placed as I don’t really use a Vias that frequently I have Siri on my Apple products but I rarely use it and don’t find it to be very useful in terms of using voice to text I use it fairly frequently in in life primarily for audio messages I receive in communication applications I convert to text when I’m in an environment where I’m unable to listen to the message or I can’t hear it because the environment is too loud I also have used voice to text to help me translate languages or learn languages for example of converting Chinese speech to pinyin to better understand it I also have friends that have used voice-to-text software in University or High School software like kerswell to help people who are dyslexic my perceptions changed after reading the information presented in the Oar before reading I had more of a negative outlook at a i v a s primarily because I don’t really use them very often and I don’t find them that helpful other than for convenience sake however after reading I’ve definitely learned about and recognize some more applications for a i v a s I also never sort of thought about the connection between the voice of play ivas and gender biases I’m so in terms of connections between the Oar and sort of my current professional contacts I definitely think some of the applications would be very beneficial for When developing learning experiences I’m just due to the efficiency and convenience of a v i a s I think they would be very beneficial in sort of e-learning or virtual learning if students could simply knowledge gaps through the use of an a v i a also in terms of working in sort of a global context could be very useful for translation think of an educational setting there are many benefits to using Avi is it can definitely make a more efficient educational environment provide accessibility and provide opportunities to provide more support for remote students over I do worry about many of the repercussions that could occur if a v i e s were used in an educational setting for One Security is a major concern of the privacy of each and every person in that setting would be at risk perhaps I also worry about over-reliance on Avi A’s to the extent that students might the struggle to gain the skills and abilities needed to Source their own information and that they find I think another major concern about Avi is is that we turn to ai4 qualities that are distinctly human for example emotional intelligence I know recently there was a sort of a i v a robot that was released called the buddy bot and turning to sort of AI to provide us with emotional support is something I find quite scary What do you think the future holds for a v i e s do you still see them being a applicable Standalone technology or do you think they will be implemented basically into all technologies as a standard feature and how do you see you know the concerns that I address sort of being met?
My inexperience in using voice to text in this setting is apparent.
Hi Graham. I applaud you for resisting the urge to edit your post after using voice to text! We’re glad that our information helped you to see some additional opportunities for use. We share your concerns regarding security and privacy. Our dark and light sides of ‘Security’ are not exhaustive but merely a taste of some of the existing issues and features. I share your uneasiness at the thought of considering an AIVA as something with human characteristics – at home, we changed our Echo device’s wake word to ‘computer’ to remind our kids that it’s a tool – and immediately go to the ‘dark side.’ However, I find it interesting that you bring up emotional intelligence, “the ability to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions.” As a learned behaviour, is it truly that far fetched to consider that human interaction can be programed into a series of algorithms and rules? In addition to Buddy Bot, we’ve seen this in movies like Her (2013) and Ron’s Gone Wrong (2021). To consider a ‘light side’ of this, could artificial emotional intelligence be used successfully in social-emotional learning and emotional rehabilitation? I believe there is a demand to have responsive and predictive technology integrated into many things, and therefore AIVAs are going to be a mainstay. I’m simultaneously filled with optimism and pessimism on how this will go.
Hi Melissa, Thanks for your response. Personally, human interaction is what worries them most about AI and products like the Buddy Bot. The digital age has already helped develop portions of the population that cannot make interpersonal social connections, and it could also be argued decreased empathic capabilities. It is of utmost importance to remember the human connection. These emotional robots are still products and, in my opinion, will be designed using the same addictive algorithms that keep people attached to social media or something along similar lines. While the future is bright for such technology, I think approaching it with some pessimism is essential.
Hello, AIVA’s team. Thank you for covering both sides of the arguments through the OER. I had many notes on the light side, but exploring the dark side tackled many of my concerns actually. First of all, I appreciate the creative design and graphics that you have carefully employed in your website. Although the font is a little small, the interface is practical and easy to navigate. Reading the light side of AIVAs, I noticed that you mentioned that Siri and her siblings can open and close apps. I am not sure that’s possible as I have always wanted that feature to be activated, but no cigar. Is there a way to do that?
On a different note, I find the use of AIVAs to aid individuals with special needs and disabilities such as ASD and visual impairment extremely significant. AI can help this social group to be more independent and capable, and that’s a huge perk for marginalized communities. However, I think there are concerns about overdependency on AI assistants in the sense that many people might misuse this technology to save energy and time more than they should. For example, in a smart home, the user might literary turn off the lights, switch on the AC, and shut the blinds from the comfort of his bed. With the insane advancement of adaptive AI, AIVAs will be capable of accomplishing more tasks for use, turning users into couch potatoes or developing lazy thinking habits. I would add that concern to the dark side part. Moreover, even though I like that my Google home is versatile and resourceful with stories, jokes, and trivial inquiries, the highly personalized functionality can lead to serious issues in cases of hacking. I was reading this article https://venturebeat.com/2019/02/17/could-hackers-trick-voice-assistants-into-committing-fraud-researchers-say-yes/ exploring how easy it is to be a victim of fraud through getting my AIVA hacked through voice recognition gaps or simulation. This is alarming, especially that Siri and her sisters are always listening and storing data, which can be too sensitive or personal.
Personally, I use my Google home to ask about the weather and play some background music. I know there is much more to do with this technology, but I simply prefer to experience learning rather than have the information delivered instantly. I think that’s pivotal in educational settings. In my view, having an AIVA in the classroom would not only have a disruptive effect but also obstructive influence on the teaching-learning process in the sense that students’ use of this technology should be limited and highly guided. Your survey results say that I am on the dark side, and I agree. I fear the potentials of algorithms and adaptive AI, for they digitalize the genuine and work in mysterious uncontrollable ways. To that end, I am convinced that the next generation of AIVAs will create individuals that are more resourceful, but less secure.
Hi Feras,
Thanks for your response. In terms of Siri’s ability to manage apps, we may have overgeneralized. It appears Siri is only able to open/launch apps, but not close them. Check out this interesting resource called “Keeping up with Siri” (https://www.smarthomeexplained.com/siri-apps-commands/#%E2%80%9CHey_Siri,_launch_Photos%E2%80%9D) which aims to keep an up-to-date log of Siri’s skills as they develop. The link above takes you to the commands that are specific to App management. I can certainly relate to your thoughts re our overdependency on AIVAs. I think what initially drew me to this topic in the first place was a somewhat pessimistic approach to Siri and her siblings, and how we’ve grown accustomed to these companions inhabiting many areas of our lives. As many of our group members agreed, we cannot embrace these technologies with blind optimism. Your example of data storage and hacking is yet another reminder that we must be mindful and critical of how our data is being handled!
Thank you, Alexis. I have always wondered how Siri can be helpful and what the actual limitations are, but I never tried to research it. So, thanks for the link. As for overdependency on AIVAs, I think that this fear does not exist in the hearts of this generation as they grew up with technology being part of almost everything. The older generations may value disconnecting more, and they may even develop higher levels of mistrust in AIVAs, simply because they have a stronger sense of comparison to the old lifestyle when AI was not there to assist us. Thank you for your reply.
Hi Team you did an amazing job here. Although AIVAs can perform an impressive array of tasks that complement instructors’ work and enhance learning environments generally, I do have concerns, about the ramifications of a deeper penetration of this technology, for example, in assessment. Advanced algorithms are already used for sentencing in the US criminal justice system and, controversially, the British Council is exploring the idea of AI-grading for written IELTS scripts. Giving just one example, where would responsibility be located if the AI-assessment outcomes clash with accepted principles of EDIDA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization, Anti-Racism)? The teacher, the software developer, the vendor? I’m afraid the very qualities that make AIVA so attractive will lead us to give up too much agency as educators. I wonder if your team had any thoughts on this issue, which I know is one that troubles the whole field of machine-intelligence.
Hello Gary! Your question is quite a heavy and loaded topic, and I do not really have a concise answer to it. Unfortunately, the integration of AIVAs and AI led assessment absolutely can lead to the loss of agency as educators; it can be very difficult to introduce concepts of personal interpretation or bias when confronted with a device or system that ostensibly gives the “correct” answer when a query is lodged. Where this becomes even more pertinent is when it is utilized to justify or control social or economic reform, such as you mention with the US justice system. AIVAs are by no means all-encompassing bodies of knowledge so nuance and context can be lost in these systems. In my own personal opinion, regarding machine intelligence and machine learning and their integration, there needs to be a certain amount of skepticism and in general a level of human-led review before any judgements or solutions that are offered by these systems should be executed. It is near impossible to account for every single factor and justification when utilizing and AIVA to make a decision, so having a level of human consideration could potentially help mitigate these potential clashes with accepted principles, such as your example of EDIDA.
Hi Gary. Thanks for your comments, and you raise a great question. Ethics and AIVAs/AI/machine learning (ML) can be quite an intense topic. However, it’s important to remember that this is just data following through algorithms and sets of rules that have been developed and verified; if A, then B.
“ML does not invent anything creative or new that does not already exist in the data provided” (Paukkeri, 2020, para.2).
To expand on what Cody shared above, the human factor, or human-in-the-loop (HITL), is one of the most important aspects of ML/AI. This refers to people who ‘train’ (i.e., audit) and validate the algorithms to determine if what is happening is what should be happening. The critical component to this is that the feedback loop should remain continuous. This is not a one-and-done validity check; this auditing process must be ongoing and must have the right people involved. Essentially, ML/AI/AIVAs are reflection of the people who build and test it, which is why having a diverse and inclusive team of people behind it is so important.
An article in Journal of Business Ethics argues that the ethical accountability should be with the designer (the person who crafts the algorithm), especially when the system is designed to “preclude individuals from taking responsibility” (Martin, 2018, p.835). However, another source suggest the responsibility should be shared between those who build the model, those who train/audit the model, and those who use the model (Paukkeri, 2020). I personally agree with shared responsibility but believe emphasis belongs to those who are auditing the data. Much like continuous improvement in a business cycle, or regular reviews of province/nation-wide curriculum guidelines, people confirming that the rules are being followed accurately and ethically must be subject matter experts and carry the weight of ethical responsibility. Does A really lead to B, and should it?
Finally, this article presents some interesting suggestions for moving forward. Basically, the author suggests hard-coding the algorithm with a set of decision rules, verified by SMEs, that define the ethical boundaries. If A, then B, provided C is in place and it does not cause D.
What do other people think?
Hi Team, you’ve highlighted a number of important points and I’d like to speak to a few of them. I think Cody is right to recommend a general level of skepticism about what kinds of decisions we can expect AIVA to make for us. In the future we’re likely to see more algorithms writing algorithms so I think it’s critical that the development process be rigorous from the start to keep bias to a minimum. Having said that, it’s generally agreed that all human-authored technology will, even if in very subtle ways, reflect the cultural and social matrix of its creator and that includes hidden or implicit assumptions, beliefs, and so on. So, Melissa, maybe this would be where continuous HITL is important because, as you remarked, we can’t accept one-and-done and monitoring the process at each stage from development to final user would not only help ensure an inclusive, culturally sensitive-product, it would extend the responsibility of due diligence to all the stakeholders. Thanks for a great response and the very helpful article suggestions.
Valid arguments Gary. I appreciate the perspective. As a society, we cannot risk losing the ground we have made on social justice issues.
I am using speech to text for this note. Please excuse my ramblings as using this technology for this task is a difficult way to summarize my thoughts. I was placed on the dark side and I agree with that placement. Some of the reasons that I don’t use AIVAs is because the quality is not quite there and I am worried about security and privacy issues. For example I don’t want Google assistant to listen to me 24/7. Also, I still have to learn some tricks with speech to text. For example how do I correct a mistake while speaking and how do I select certain emojis while speaking. This week I learned that using Google Assistant is best for asking easy questions, text to speech, booking reminders, and having a laugh at the expense of the Assistant. For example if you tell Google Assistant that you love them they will give you a compliment. Now I am booked to receive a compliment every day at 4:30 p.m. I also set up Google Assistant so that it works in English and Polish. I think this is a clever way to brush up on a language because if you do not say the phrase correctly the application doesn’t understand you. So then you have to go and research how to ask the question correctly in your language of choice. I am looking forward to the future when this technology becomes more sophisticated. For example I wish I could have more of a conversation with Google assistant. Now when I use it if I ask a question or say something after one response it turns off. I would like to be able to have a continued conversation. I knew there was gender bias in this technology but the resource you provided expanded my knowledge in this area. I would use this technology in a professional context to help with efficiency and streamlining tasks and time management. I’m not sure how I would use it in the classroom yet with adult learners but if I was still coaching people I would recommend using this technology to help with reminders. Thank you for your OER, it was very fun and informative.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Olivia. I am glad to know the website placed you in the right category. Also very nice touch using speech to text for this response. Most people agree with your thoughts on the quality of AIVAs and how, although is very advanced, still has its flaws. There is always a high percent chance that AIVAs won’t pick on the voice commands or voice to text dictations. When it comes to security and privacy, most people would understand that in order for this software to advance, it needs to listen and when you choose to use the software you are agreeing to the terms and conditions. Everyone has the choice of using the software or not, plus if anyone feels concerned about what they are saying then they should turn off their AIVAs. I agree with you, one of the biggest problems is people not knowing all of the possible voice commands, there is no guide besides simply looking it up on google: https://www.siriuserguide.com/siri-dictation-guide/ This website offers a guide on the possible commands and states that “Dictation on iOS doesn’t include a way to delete letters, words, or lines of text”. I also know that emojis are not yet hooked up to voice commands. I am glad to see that you are using AIVAs to the best of its capabilities and that you look forward for the technology to advance, which really tells me that such positive belief should have placed you in the light side. The goal of software developers is to be able to have an AIVAs capable of carrying out thoughtful humanized conversations like Jarvis in Iron Man, this would be know as AI because it’s capable of making verbal “choices” which is a type of human intelligence. I am happy to hear that you learned lots on gender bias through our resources. I also believe there is great potential to bring this technology into the classroom, however there is still to be developed for effective use in Education. Thank you for taking the time to look through our OER!
Hi Team!
Not much to my surprise, I was placed on the “light side” – I would agree that I have more dark connotations when I consider AIVAs (for me, Siri and her Siblings evoke “Big Brother” characteristics). I thought it was particularly clever for “Siri” to decide which side the user should explore on your OER; to gain an alternative perspective to the preconceived biases that would have likely blurred the experience. Well done. I’m curious, was this also how you divided up your research? It is always beneficial to be challenged to look through a different lens; in this case, for me, it was advantageous to be reminded of the opportunities that AIVAs afford. There were a few “light side” viewpoints (particularly in the accessibility, gender, and security) that I had never critically explored and they did expand my perception. As for using voice to text in my own life, my only committed use is for sending text messages. This is something I have only really started doing in the last couple of months. I have noticed I do this most often when I am walking, I appreciate that instead of looking down at the phone, I can keep my head up and be more aware of my surroundings (ie. not rudely stumbling into people because I am not paying enough attention). Although, I still have to look down to double-check what Siri “heard” and make edits as needed. Your OER was original in its outline, concise (yet offered links for anyone interested in more information), and covered thoughtful AIVAs topics – well-done team! Lastly, your home page was a unique hook (it felt very futuristic and like the user was engaging with the AIVA), and the AIVAs used in some of the bios were a great touch:)
Hi Tegan,
Thanks for your thoughtful response to our OER! Interesting question about how the research was divided. Admittedly the various categories (Education, Security, Gender, Accessibility, Entertainment & Global Use) were initially “up for grabs”, so each group member gravitated towards a topic that they were already interested or well versed in. That being said, we were still required to delve into both the light and dark sides of the category, which I know personally lead to some eye-opening findings. For example, I researched Gender and Accessibility, and was astonished by the “dark side” of gender in the world of AI development. The UNESCO report “I’d blush if I could: closing gender divides in digital skills through education” that is cited in our OER was a pretty shocking (and frustrating) read about the gender gap in STEM education and the workforce. I’m impressed that you consistently use Siri’s voice to text abilities to send text messages. Personally, since my most recent iOS update, I’m finding Siri has a harder time than ever understanding my requests, which is pretty demotivating. I’m glad that some of the categories and their light/dark sides provided new insight. I’m curious, was there any one aspect that has changed how you will engage with AIVAs moving forward?
Hey Lex. Yes, I agree, the Gender and STEM were two of the biggest shockers for me as well. As for my immediate future with AIVAs, I don’t know if too much will change moving forward. Despite the light side that your team represented so well, I am still on the dark side of the debate. One thing I have done is change the “voice” of Siri (mostly because I didn’t know you could do this and it was fun to do), and the OER has given me a broader perspective and more food for thought! Thanks again 🙂
Your initial quiz put me on the dark side of voice assistants which is odd because (my voice Assistant wrote this as “cuz” initially and the former English teacher died a little bit just then) I use them frequently. In reflecting on that I realized that it is because I use mine for a lot of IoT hardware applications in my house, more than I do with a mobile device outside of my home. Full disclosure, I at one point used a Google Pixel 2 which had AIVA built in to a squeeze sensor on the lower half of the phone. I used it extensively when that was designed as a key usability feature, but find myself using it less with a more vanilla flavor of Android on my newer device (they were out of new Pixels and I needed a phone urgently). Talk of AIVAs in education always takes me back to Asimov’s 1957 classic short story “The Fun They Had” (3 pages, well worth a read https://archive.org/details/Fantasy_Science_Fiction_v006n02_1954-02/page/n126/mode/1up?view=theater) . The F’xa interactive conversation on bias was an excellent production. I agree with some of their disputes about the female voice by default. I actually went to my AIVA after that to do something about it…and ended up with a new voice setting of a female Australian voice. (I’d secretly been hoping that Morgan Freeman was an option). One thing that im curious if you ran across was the Google keynote from a couple years ago where they announced the voice Assistant improvements that caused an “uncanny Valley” sort of stir. (https://youtu.be/D5VN56jQMWM) Overall, well done group. I look forward to further engaging through your forum.
I too am surprised you were still placed on the dark side as a frequent user of AIVAs. In the end, your explanation makes sense though as the survey was designed to determine fairly broad use. Thanks for sharing that short story, that was new for me. Funny how they almost got it right. We saw many parallels over the past year to their classroom of 2155. We are already ahead in many aspects. I found it comical that they somewhat mocked the teacher and how “he just told the boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions” and then Margie’s robot teacher just had her doing rote practice in a one student classroom. I like to think that we will continue down the path of inquiry, SEL and competency based learning. I had seen that Google presentation and am actually surprised that we aren’t using that type of communication yet. It does appear to be available in some areas now though. There was another one that was presented to me around that same time that demonstrated a student having their smart watch be their teacher. I have never been able to find it again but it showed the student out exploring and the watch would guide, question and facilitate learning in a personalized manner. The child appeared to be free roaming and followed paths of engagement. This is where I imagine Asimov’s story meets Google Duplex and its siblings.
I am using voice to text to write this post.
I agree with being placed in the dark side. I use my HomePod for music daily but do not ever ask it questions, use it to schedule anything, or play with the settings.
My voice to text experience is little to no experience, as I much prefer to type than use a voice to text. Maybe I should try using it going forward, more often. I think I might just be stubborn, as I do agree with the information that challenges my thinking, but traditionally stick with avoiding most voice slash virtual assistants.
Thank you guys for this great project – this is a very interesting piece and challenged my thinking. I really enjoyed this.
Emma
Thanks for starting the voice to text replies Emma. We’d love to hear if you take on the challenge part this week and if you see more of the light side.
Hi Emma. It’s great that you used voice to text for that post, especially since you admitted you don’t use it very often. We’re glad the content was engaging and provided some new perspectives! Now that you’ve tried using voice to text, was it comfortable for you? What are some scenarios where you’d be more likely to try using voice to text going forward?
Thanks for your feedback!
It was comfortable – and I do see the value in it and that I can use it comfortably, for sure! I think in my personal life, I would be inclined to use it more often with my HomePod to explore more functions than just playing music, and maybe using it to answer questions or to set alarms, where I opt to use another route. It truly is a useful tool, and I need to use it to shift to the light side.