An article on this topic deserves one mention of Majel Barrett, doesn't it?
Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
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Re: Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
#12Re: Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
#13> marketers have an easier time finding a universally
> likeable female voice than a male one
This article could have shorter, the rest of it seems to spend half the time explaining why it's ok to discount conflicting evidence and the other half throwing out conjecture on why the premise of sexism might possibly be slightly accurate.
Is it really that weird that different cultures end up with different genders for a friendly, non-judgemental, disembodied and slightly inhuman mechanical voice? How weird would it be if there was no cultural preference? If the preference was always 50.0/50.0? Now that would be unlikely!
There are so many factors here, some of which are, no doubt, cultural stereotypes about gender. Doesn't it seem more likely that the "friendly" and "non-judgemental" part is the stereotype? Even if it's not, since the author makes it clear this is an open question why are all the options twisted into an anti-women stereotype?
> This dovetails with the way stereotypes
> work; our prejudices make us dislike hearing
> a man go about secretarial work
Are you fucking kidding me? That's a stretch for an explanation of why men and women find the women's voice more likeable. Why not the much more likely Loving Mother stereotype? Sure, it's all conjecture and that's fine, but the author has clearly made up her mind that this is sexist and is trying to figure out why. That seems backwards if you are interested in truth.
Re: Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
#14I like how he ignores that the British Siri is male... And even goes so far as to admit he's doing so. "That's women's work" doesn't really hold up for me. I have never once thought, "I have a question. I'd better go find a woman to ask, because that's women's work." I don't even think that "female" is a helpdesk stereotype. I certainly don't have any expectations when I start looking for a help desk. Now if he had s…
Also ignored are the facts that some of the most memorable AI voices were male, e.g. HAL and Knight Industries Two Thousand.
Federation computers of the Star Trek universe, the Halo (Game) AI, the Andromeda (TV series) AI, SAL (HAL's twin sister from 2010). Lots o' female voices in the fictional AI space.
Re: Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
#15I remember hearing somewhere that the voice system in fighter planes is female because if a man is at the edge of losing consciousness (as fighter pilots can be during high-g maneuvers because of blood rushing away from their heads towards their legs), the sound of a woman's voice is more likely to keep him conscious.
That was my thought as well when I saw the headline. Also this article explains briefly the history of it - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitching_Betty
Re: Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
#16> marketers have an easier time finding a universally > likeable female voice than a male one This article could have shorter, the rest of it seems to spend half the time explaining why it's ok to discount conflicting evidence and the other half throwing out conjecture on why the premise of sexism might possibly be slightly accurate. Is it really that weird that different cultures end up with different genders for a…
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Re: Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
#17Because we like girls more.
We being the male-dominated environment in which these robot helpers are developed.
Eagly’s research has compiled mountains of data on the stereotypes people have about men and women, which the researchers summarized as “The WAW effect.” WAW stands for “Women Are Wonderful.” Both men and women hold much more favorable views of women than of men. Almost everybody likes women better than men. I certainly do. http://www.psy.fsu.edu/~baumeistertice/goodaboutmen.htm
Re: Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
#18> marketers have an easier time finding a universally > likeable female voice than a male one This article could have shorter, the rest of it seems to spend half the time explaining why it's ok to discount conflicting evidence and the other half throwing out conjecture on why the premise of sexism might possibly be slightly accurate. Is it really that weird that different cultures end up with different genders for a…
It's link bait, the only truth in link bait is page views.
Re: Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
#19Bollocks. Higher voices are simply easier to hear over urban noise.
Re: Siri and Her Girls: Why So Many Robot Helpers Are Ladies
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also ignored are the facts that some of the most memorable AI voices were male, e.g. HAL and Knight Industries Two Thousand.
Federation computers of the Star Trek universe, the Halo (Game) AI, the Andromeda (TV series) AI, SAL (HAL's twin sister from 2010). Lots o' female voices in the fictional AI space.
Star Trek's computer voice was Gene Roddenberry's wife. That doesn't sound like a demeaning sexist choice.
I'll give you the others though, especially Cortana from HALO https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Cortana#Criti...