2 research outputs found
"Alexa, Can I Program You?": Student Perceptions of Conversational Artificial Intelligence Before and After Programming Alexa
Growing up in an artificial intelligence-filled world, with Siri and Amazon
Alexa often within arm's - or speech's - reach, could have significant impact
on children. Conversational agents could influence how students
anthropomorphize computer systems or develop a theory of mind. Previous
research has explored how conversational agents are used and perceived by
children within and outside of learning contexts. This study investigates how
middle and high school students' perceptions of Alexa change through
programming their own conversational agents in week-long AI education
workshops. Specifically, we investigate the workshops' influence on student
perceptions of Alexa's intelligence, friendliness, aliveness, safeness,
trustworthiness, human-likeness, and feelings of closeness. We found that
students felt Alexa was more intelligent and felt closer to Alexa after the
workshops. We also found strong correlations between students' perceptions of
Alexa's friendliness and trustworthiness, and safeness and trustworthiness.
Finally, we explored how students tended to more frequently use computer
science-related diction and ideas after the workshops. Based on our findings,
we recommend designers carefully consider personification, transparency,
playfulness and utility when designing CAs for learning contexts.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure
I Call Alexa to the Stand : The Privacy Implications of Anthropomorphizing Virtual Assistants Accompanying Smart-Home Technology
This Note offers a solution to the unique privacy issues posed by the increasingly humanlike interactions users have with virtual assistants, such as Amazon\u27s Alexa, which accompany smart-home technology. These interactions almost certainly result in the users engaging in the cognitive phenomenon of anthropomorphism--more specifically, an assignment of agency. This is a phenomenon that has heretofore been ignored in the legal context, but both the rapidity of technological advancement and inadequacy of current applicable legal doctrine necessitate its consideration now. Since users view these anthropomorphized virtual assistants as persons rather than machines, the law should treat them as such. To accommodate this reality, either the courts or Congress should grant them legal personhood. This can be accomplished through the application of an objective test that is satisfied by the establishment of social and moral connections with these virtual assistants. Further, due to the paramount privacy concerns resulting from this technology\u27s use within the home, courts should establish a new privilege that protects the communications between users and their virtual assistants