Is Alexa like a computer' A search engine' A friend' A silly child' Yes.

Smit Desai, Michael Twidale

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

In this provocation, we analyze metaphors used by 14 end-users in semi-structured interviews to describe their interactions with Voice User Interfaces (VUIs). We identified four key metaphor groups-computer, search engine, friend, and silly child-that can help us understand how individual end-users perceive VUIs differently based on the conversational context. A consideration of these four groups draws attention to the issues with reductionist implementations of system personas and role-based performances and the problems of fixating on humanness as a metaphor. Fortunately, using metaphor analysis can also help in ideating solutions to these issues.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 4th International Conference on Conversational User Interfaces, CUI 2022
EditorsMartin Halvey, Mary Ellen Foster, Jeff Dalton, Cosmin Munteanu, Johanne Trippas
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
ISBN (Electronic)9781450397391
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 26 2022
Event4th International Conference on Conversational User Interfaces, CUI 2022 - Glasgow, United Kingdom
Duration: Jul 26 2022Jul 28 2022

Publication series

NameACM International Conference Proceeding Series

Conference

Conference4th International Conference on Conversational User Interfaces, CUI 2022
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityGlasgow
Period7/26/227/28/22

Keywords

  • Anthropomorphism
  • Metaphor
  • Voice user interface

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
  • Software

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