Natalie Jeremijenko: Some adventures in the use of speech recognition in smart products

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The talk offers valuable insights into the social and cultural implications of speech recognition and smart products. Jeremijenko’s argumentation is solid, drawing on her own design projects and critical observations. She effectively challenges the dominant paradigm of designing computers as characters, providing concrete examples that illustrate her points. Her analysis of voice chips as lacking identity and being interpreted as buzzes is particularly insightful. The presentation is engaging and thought-provoking, though it lacks formal empirical evidence or citations, relying instead on anecdotal and observational data.

The title accurately reflects the content: the talk focuses on the use of speech recognition in smart products, with several examples and critical analysis.

7/10

The talk is an expert opinion by a recognized techno-artist and researcher, presenting personal projects and analyses. It is not peer-reviewed but grounded in practical experience and critical thinking. The speaker acknowledges limitations and invites feedback. The content is coherent and well-argued, but lacks formal citations or empirical data.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 02:00Introduction: Natalie Jeremijenko is introduced as a techno-artist from NYU Media Lab.
• 05:00Jeremijenko explains her interest in human-computer interaction and the concept of agency.
• 10:00Discussion of the 'smart toaster' and the cultural implications of smart products.
• 15:00Presentation of the 'Live Wire' project at Xerox PARC.
• 20:00Introduction of 'Voice Boxes' and their use in social spaces.
• 25:00Description of 'Trigger the Loma Prieta Pony' and other information display devices.
• 30:00Analysis of voice chips and their lack of identity, with examples like the Nissan Maxima.
• 35:00Discussion of the doorbell that says 'dingdong' and the pen that says 'blah blah blah'.
• 40:00Presentation of the project embedding cameras in smart toys like Furby.
• 45:00Findings from the toy camera project: people often ignore the toys and interact only when others are present.
• 50:00Introduction of speech recognition interfaces from an exhibition, including the light switch and dog translator.
• 55:00Discussion of the gun triggered by the word 'Dalo' and the elevator requiring Spanish commands.
• 1:00:00Presentation of 'Real Time', a project with a one-year delay between recording and playback.

• SIGGRAPH 2001 paper — Jeremijenko mentions a paper she published at SIGGRAPH 2001 analyzing voice chips in products.
• Walker Art Center website — She mentions that videos from the toy camera project are available on the Walker Art Center website.

• The Design of Everyday Things — Don Norman's work on design and affordances aligns with Jeremijenko's critique of smart products.
• Affective Computing — Rosalind Picard's research on emotion in computing relates to the attribution of character to products.

• The Media Equation — Reeves and Nass argue that people treat computers as social actors, which contrasts with Jeremijenko's claim that voice chips are not perceived as agents.