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© Thomson Reuters FoundationAlexa, are you male or female? 'Sexist' virtual assistants go gender-neutral
By Sonia Elks LONDON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
11 Comments
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Bugle Boy of Company B
Some people WANT a gendered AI device. That last thing I want is a device that is "confused" about their "gender". It's a robot, a computer. I get to decide what it is.
isoducky
Interesting research, but I'm willing to bet that the major tech firms have already researched and studied the preferences of their user base which led them to create the AI voices currently used. Part of their research like probably dealt with the concepts of identity, authority, and the audio uncanny valley.
extanker
Make it an option, fine. If people really need to hear a gender neutral voice to not feel threatened, that's their problem. As long as I still can choose for myself what I want to hear.
Strangerland
How dare they create something you don't like.
Chop Chop
No male or no female it was gay. Gay was between male and female, so it was gender-neutral. That's why it voice like a gay.
Robert pearce
That sucks....
How am i going to tell "Q" to get back in the kitchen ?
cleo
My Siri has a lovely soft, UK-accented male voice that I like. Apple lets me choose what Siri sounds like. Isn't that better than a nondescript, 'neutral' neither-this-nor-that voice?
Though I suppose they could offer Q as a choice. I wonder what kind of accent it has.
mmwkdw
I guess someone will install Alexia/Siri into a Sex bot and then we will have a more realistic discussion.
I'd like to be able to change the name by which I call out to these devices, make it configurable... reminds me of Startrek IV, where "Scottie" picks up the Computer's mouse and speaks to it "Hello Computer....", that would be a nice function to have.
"Computer" - tell me the Weather today
Ah... perhaps an Open source project.
I bet the names "Alexia" and "Siri" have already been copyrighted so if you were to name your own Kids with those names, you'd suddenly be faced with Legal action from those respective Corporations !!!!