The growing high-tech field of conversational computing is popularized by intelligent virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, Amazon’s Alexa, and the Google Assistant. Interestingly, all of them use a young female voice. Because it has social and emotional dimensions not seen with keyboards and screens, conversational computing is holding a mirror to many of society’s biggest preconceptions around race and gender. “There’s a kind of pressure to conform to the prejudices of the world,” explains Jason Mars, professor of computer science whose tech start-up features an AI smartphone app.
Related Posts
