PROCEEDINGS of the23rd International Congress on Acoustics
9 to 13 September 2019 in Aachen, Germany

Alexa, Siri and more: The impact of speech recognition on socialbehaviour and our responsibility as its creators
Andrea EBNER1
1

Technichal University of Munich, Germany

ABSTRACTDigitalization and globalization allow us to create machines that can be used all over the world. But wemust consider what people in the target markets want. What do they think of the hidden microphones in our
living rooms, why are they afraid of speech-control? Are people ready to give us their trust in our creationand their consent to share their privacy with us? Since the buzzword AI can be read in every newspaper andit seems like there is no other technical topic out there to talk about any more, I want to ask some questions.
What the societies worries are and where may they come from and how can we handle our responsibility as
the producer of change? The political debate is often ideologically. We as scientist and engineers cansupport the decision-makers and the society with giving the rational facts and provide simple,
understandable explanations of what is going on in the tech world. Because it is not just about with whichgood or evil device we interact. Instead of being afraid of change it is a matter of HOW WE INTERACT
and HOW WE TRANSFORM the world into a better one for all of us.
Keywords: Speech assistants, Society, Responsibility

1. INTRODUCTION
Science fiction authors have known it for a long time: speech assistants make our lives easier.
They keep us up to date and inform us aboutnews or remind us of important dates. Built into a robot,
they do unloved work or help us raising our children. They know everything about us and offer anentertainment experience adapted to our preferences. But what is the impact of human-like
technology systems on social behavior? Furthermore, the role of an engineer and his or her
responsibility regarding the evolving technologies is addressed.

2. DISCUSSION
2.1 Speech assistants available on the market
Since everyone can buy his or her own Smart Speaker (a speaker with an installed speechrecording software and a connection to the internet to process the speech commands in the cloud),the technology of speech assistants has experienced a remarkable boom. Just a few years ago (since2011), Siri on the iPhone was only able to create a simple calendar entry for you. Nowadays Alexaand Co. can report on the weather, switch the lights on and off in your Smart Home and order pizza
for you.
Amazon has had a considerable influence on the upswing. The company has launched its own
device with speech recognition and speech processing software which makes the shopping
experience even more convenient and increases the acceptance of the assistants linked to company
offers. Therefore, the company was criticized with regard to data protection and received the Big
Brother Award in 2018 (1).
Nevertheless, Amazon is enjoying market success with the Alexa software in various devices.
Other large providers followed and also brought their own smart speakers onto the market (before
Google launched its speaker in Germany in 2017, the Google Assistant was only available insmartphones since 2012). Apple was the last one to introduce a speaker to the market; they offer aspeakeronly in the US since 2018 . In order to compare the systems, there are various criteria
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andrea.ebner@tum.deaccording to which the quality of the language assistants is evaluated. The Alexa software features
the most natural speech, while the Google Assistant can answer questions in a mostly reliable andcorrect way (2).
2.2 How the assistants work
The functionality is simple: The software wakes up when a code word is spoken and then theinstruction is recorded.The system sends the received command to the server of the software
provider, where it is processed. In some cases, everything is recorded and then sent to the server forspeech analysis to extract the commands and instructions. The result is finally returned, usually thatis an information or an instruction for a device from a Smart Home. For example, the user will hearmusic (from the Smart Speaker) or the lights will start to dim or change color. The hardware
consists, among other things, of (at least) a loudspeaker and a microphone, where in some cases, thelatter can be switched off with a button, in order to avoid unwanted command recognition.
This functional simplicity makes the system attractive and comfortable for many users.
According to the manufacturer (Amazon), more than 100 million devices on which the Alexasoftware is installed were sold by the end of 2018. This is the case for in-house products as well as
high-quality loudspeaker systems, among other devices (3).
The attractiveness of Amazon's software may be further enhanced by the fact that private andcommercial developers can extend the functionalities by programingso-called skills. One cancompare these skills with the apps for smartphones. Thus, a large community can participate in thetechnology and establish a connection with the product world and the company.
2.3 Useage of speech assistants
During a study conducted by Capgemini Digital Transformation Institute in 2018, people indifferent countries were asked about their opinion and habits about speech assistants.While 13% ofGerman interview participants aged over 18 already use stationary speech assistants, 27% canimagine doing so in the near future (4). Furthermore, 38% of those surveyed in the US, the UK,France and Germany wish the human assistants in call centers to be replaced with personalized
speech assistants. They expect time savings and more convenience for themselves (5).
2.4 Privacy and data protection
The main aspects of criticism are concerning privacy and the related issue of data protection.
Privacy is considered to be a shielded area in which one can develop oneself in a very personal way(6). The fact that the boundaries of this area are interpreted individually and differently can be seenin the way social media are being used. While some people post pictures of themselves in any
situation in life, others delight their friends with photographs of food and landscapes, some others
strictly refuse to participate in social networks from the very beginning (7).
Furthermore, this definition of the private sphere is culturally and historically shaped. In recentyears, it was mainly the US, and thus especially Silicon Valley, and China that set the pace. They
enabled the rapid development of technology and therefore the perspective on privacy has been
influenced in different ways. What the United States and Germany (and Europe) have in common,
however, is the basic approach: the individual is at the center of debates. In parts of Asia and Africa,on the other hand, the well-being of the community is more desirable than the satisfaction of theindividual's needs (8).
Moreover, every user of a device with an incorporated speech assistant connected to the Internet
has to trust the companies to a certain extent, because when purchasing and using the device, theprovider will invade the private sphere to perform its services.
The critical aspect of data protection can basically be summarized in a few simple words: Users
choose less privacy for more convenience.
2.5 Education
Speech assistantst seem to be a very popular support in education. Parents use assistants asplaymates for their children, for example the talking doll called “My friend Cayla”. However, thecontact of children with talking toys, which can answer simple questions and provide them withinformation, is a sensitive matter. For instance, children may not be aware of any danger when
"Cayla" suddenly asks them to open the balcony door and let a stranger into the house. This would1427

have been made possible by an unprotected Bluetooth connection, which would have allowedanyone to connect directly to the doll. Therefore it was classified as a forbidden transmitter
according to § 90 TKG (Telecommunications Act in Germany) (9).
When children grow up with talking, interactive dolls or other devices, they develop a certain
behavior towardsthese objects and seemingly imagine them to be real playmates. Somemanufacturers have reacted to reports of a harsh conversational tone due to speaking in command
form (10) with a "child-friendly" mode, which requires "Please" and "Thank you" in thecommunication.
In order to protect children from over-consumption, there are also features to limit the usage timeof speech assistants. Parents themselves also intervened to slowly and consciously teach the childrenthat they have a robot in their hands and that it should not be equated with a human being. The
explanation of the difference between humans and machines is essential in all future education.
2.6 Interpersonal and close relationships
Not yet explicitly researched, but nevertheless frequently discussed in the media is the influenceon the perception of gender roles. Most voices of speech assistants are female. This gives theimpression that women are servants and handlers and that they are only employed for supporting
activities (11).
In some cases, relationship desires are projected onto speech assistants, creating an ideal imageof a partner. Survey participants think of the assistant as a nanny, pet, surrogate mother, partner and/or coach. This projection increases the expectations on potential, real life partners and technicaldevices can become a competition for humans. Nevertheless, the fear of addiction and of being
dependent on technical assistants is also reported (12).
This raises the question of the value of a relationship: Would you rather interact with an everfriendly personal assistant or would you invest your feelings and efforts into a person who will be
there for you under all circumstances in life?
2.7 Guidelines for responsibility
Nowadays, experts seem to have little time to deal with moral and social issues. But the more
complex the use of the technology is, the more requirements and concerns must be considered. In aguideline recently published by IEEE on the ethically correct handling of autonomous andintelligent systems (13), the scientific disciplines involved are approached and advised about how
they should act in order to follow ethical and social conventions. The following aspects, amongothers, are taken from that guideline and are extended.
2.7.1 Be open and discuss with others
To be able to take ethical guidelines into account and successfully implement a technology, onemust first be aware of the potential problems of new technologies. Due to the complexity ofsystems, it is urgent to seek help from as many other disciplines as possible. An interdisciplinary
approach is essential when dealing with complex issues.
Equally fundamental for constructive debates is a mutual acceptance of substantially different
views and an understanding of concerns from other areas. If you have doubts, it is essential to stepout of your own shadow and ask other experts (and "normal" society) at an early stage.
2.7.2 Fear of technology?
At the moment it seems as if society is mainly afraid of new technologies (artificial intelligence,humanoid robots, ...). It is therefore advisable for experts to get involved in public discussions at anearly stage. With rational facts and clear, understandable examples it is possible to deprive dystopiasof their basis. Often, fears are unfounded and based on a lack of knowledge (Can there be an
artificial intelligence if you don't know what intelligence actually is?).
It is the responsibility of experts to make sure that their achievements are used in a sustainable
way and in the best interests of mankind.

3. CONCLUSIONS
There is no doubt, technolocigal progress has both positive and negative sides. While lots ofusers appreciate the help of digital assistants, some are worried about security, privacy and thefuture developments.

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Communication has and will always be evolving. People will always communicate and interact
with each other in some form, be it via text messages or via spoken word. The content matters, notthe means of transferring them. Speech assistants will integrate themselves into family and social
life, as many technical achievements (TV, PC, smartphone) have done before. Families orindividuals decide for themselves how, for what purpose and to what extent they want to use certain
devices.
Like everywhere else, there are skeptics and fanatics. Through matter-of-fact discussions, issues
such as data protection can be resolved in a compromise that takes both the technical progress andindividual needs into account. Those who are knowledgeable, i.e. technicians, researchers, teachersand others, have the responsibility towards society to educate the non-scientists. They have toexplain how the technology works, how to keep control of it and how to eventually deactivate it.
They, or to be more precise: we, must contribute to education and technology training. We have todiscuss with those who are not aware of the possible consequences of new technologicaldevelopments and we have to critically question our own achievements. We have to calm media andsociety down if the debate tends to go surrealistic; and we should speak out loud against fake news
about our technological achievements.
Our challenge as experts should be: How can the strengths of people and machines be brought
together without neglecting people?

REFERENCES
1. Big Brother Award Homepage. URL: https://bigbrotherawards.de/2018/verbraucherschutz-amazonalexa.
2. Stiftung Warentest: Assistenten im Test. Test 4/2018; 2018. p. 34-37.
3. Bohn, D. Amazon says 100 million Alexa devices have been sold — what’s next?. The Verge; 2019.
URL: https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/4/18168565/amazon-alexa-devices-how-many-sold-number100-million-dave-limp.
4. Vom Smartphone ins Wohnzimmer der Konsumenten: Digitale Sprachassistenten. Research Spotlight2018-04; 2018. URL: https://www.bitkom-research.de/epages/63742557.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/63742557/Categories/Presse/Spotlight/
Research_Spotlight_201804_EU_Datenschutz_Grundverordnung[1].
5. Conversational Commerce. Capgemini Digital Transformation Institute; 2018. p. 11, 15.
6. German Basic Law. Art. 2 Abs. 1 i.V.m. Art. 1 Abs. 1 GG, 1949.
7. by-nc-nd/3.0/
Autor:
Dr.
rer.pol.
Jan-Hinrik
Schmidt
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http://www.bpb.de/gesellschaft/digitales/datenschutz/194364/praktiken-und-risiken-sozialer-medien.
8. by-nc-nd/4.0 Autor: Prof. Kai von Lewinski für bpb.de: Was Europa und die USA in Sachen
Datenschutz
unterscheidet.
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http://www.bpb.de/gesellschaft/digitales/democracy/254254/datenschutz-in-der-eu-und-den-usa.
9. Hessel, S. "My friend Cayla" - eine nach § 90 TKG verbotene Sendeanlage?. JurPC-Web-Dok.
0013/2017. Abs. 1-39.
10.Rudgard, O. 'Alexa generation' may be learning bad manners from talking to digital assistants, report
warns. The Telegraph; 2018. URL: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/31/alexa-generationcould-learning-bad-manners-talking-digital/.
11. Genzmer, J, Wiese. T. Die gesellschaftliche Wirkung von weiblichen Sprach-Assistenten; 2019. URL:
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/the-handmaids-fail-die-gesellschaftliche-wirkungvon.1264.de.html?dram:article_id=443058.
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