Turbo-Charging the Mind
Dec 30, 2012The rapid advance of computer technology in recent decades has produced a vast array of intelligent machines that far outstrip the human mind in speed and capacity.
Is Alexa a Setback for Feminism?
Serena Wong
19 March 2018
Voice-activated personal assistants like Alexa and Siri are becoming increasingly popular, both with tech companies trying to capitalize on a new market and with consumers looking for a little help in their day-to-day activities. While the assistants each try to differentiate themselves in someway, there is one inescapable commonality: they are all female.
In this Atlantic article, Ian Bogost explores why this might be, and what it could indicate about personal assistants and the tech companies behind them. With personal assistants, Bogost argues, we are playing into the stereotype of women slotted simply to service and subservient roles, eager to please. Ultimately, these personal assistants are "doomed to fail" as they fall short of the expectation of perfection.
Read the full article here: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/01/sorry-alexa-is-not-a-feminist/551291/
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Related Shows
Turbo-Charging the Mind
Dec 30, 2012The rapid advance of computer technology in recent decades has produced a vast array of intelligent machines that far outstrip the human mind in speed and capacity.
Gender
Jan 04, 2005Are gender roles and differences fixed, once and for, all by biology? Or is gender socially constructed and culturally variable?
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This week we’re thinking about cultural appropriation and asking who owns culture—which may be a weird way of thinking about it. It's easy to see how somebody can own the rights to a song they... Read more
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This week we're asking what Political Inequality is. Sounds easy to define, right? That’s when some people don’t get an equal voice in society, because they’re not represented in government, or... Read more
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Comments (1)
Harold G. Neuman
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 -- 11:08 AM
My wife has one of the GoogleMy wife has one of the Google machines. My daughter-in-law has Alexa. Others in our small circle of family and friends have the Siri device. I suppose one might equate the 'femininity' of these machines with a rap against the feminist point-of-view, but I find that a stretch. There have been no remarks, thus far, from anyone we know concerning this phenomenon and, to all indications, the owners of these items are pretty well satisfied with their performance. I think a distinction is in order here: the so-called personal assistants are quasi-sophisticated toys, and as such are, more than anything else, for the amusement of their owners. It is also illustrative (I think) that the devices are enjoyed more by women than men (in my limited experience)---I cannot speak for thousands(?) of other buyers, and am not a demographer. Think about all manner of indulgences that have grown out of the popular culture phenomenon. People are fascinated with technology and technocrats are delighted to deliver all manner of new and imaginative gizmos; thingamabobs and widgets. As long as there are buyers, there will be sellers. Fulfillment is such a pleasant sounding word. Those who are worried about the furtherance of feminism can hang on to their money---as easily as anyone else. Someone's not gonna like this. I'm sure of it.