WEEK1 Virtual Assistance or Virtual Spy?

The user interface of electronical devices is constantly being developed to facilitate the use of technology and make it more accessible in all aspects of our daily lives. It started with elements such as the keyboard and mouse allowing people to interact with the computer and shape the experience in a more personal manner. Later touchscreen-technology allowed users to control a device through ones haptic senses. The next step was introduced by Apple, when the iPhone was released with Siri, a voice assistant, in 2011. No mouse, no touch was needed to use a computers applications, solely by expressing the key words “Hey Siri” a completely new input method was available to the public.

IBM set the first milestone in speech recognition in 1961 with its Shoebox project, however the most significant developments occurred in the 2010s. Apple competitors rushed their own versions of voice assistants to the market, Google Now in 2012 for Android devices, the following year Windows released Cortana. However, the product that opened a new range of possibilities of the voice assistant was Amazon’s 2014 “Echo”. With the integrated Alexa assistant, the home speaker solely relied on voice commands, with the goal to be integrated into everyday tasks and lose its attachment to the phone.

Tech-giants such as Google and Apple struggled to produce a competitive product, with Google releasing its Google Home in 2016 and Apple brining its “HomePod” to the market as late as 2018. The skills of voice assistants increased, from writing shopping lists, to directly ordering products from online shops. Google started producing fundamental electronics that were compatible with its system, lightbulbs, thermostats, home security systems and many more elements to create a smart home. Increase temperature, dim the lights, play the favorite playlist, all actions that could now be completed by speaking up.

At the first glance, these products bring comfort and seem to facilitate the day-to-day, however many regard this intrusion of technology into the personal space critically. Besides security concerns due to exposure of personal information to hackers, many ethical and moral questions arise. Although the voice assistants are supposed to only react when the key-words “Hey Google” or “Hey Siri” are mentioned, the microphones are constantly activated, possibly listening in to private conversations or situations. Not only are hackers a concern, but also the tech-giants supplying the assistants, that collect data under the pretense of improving the platform. According to a Forbes article, in 2019 Amazon admitted that Alexa devices were “spying” on its customers (Source). This did not only initiate a legal debate, but also an ethical debate, raising concerns about privacy infringement in smart homes.

Thus, although representing an ambition to modernize homes and the every day lives, voice assistant pose a threat to privacy.

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