Smart Speakers in Practice

What is it about?

How are Smart Speakers actually used in private homes? How are they embedded in ongoing conversations, how are they enmeshed with daily activities such as cooking, listening to music or smart-home control? Linguistic research to date has mainly concentrated on commands and answers in themselves - in experiments and laboratoy settings. Little is known about the language that is actually used in the everyday-practices in private homes. The article identifies challenges for doing media linguistic research: the newness of these devices, a lack of established methods in media linguistics, and ongoing conceptual debates. The article proposes solutions using an approach to media research that is focused on practices and makes use of conversation analysis. It provides two case examples to address these issues.

Featured Image

Photo by Drew Perales on Unsplash

Photo by Drew Perales on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The use of everyday applications of "Artificial Intelligence" in our private homes is rapidly growing: Smart Speakers, Smart Bulbs, Smart Locks - Smart Homes. The digitally connected devices are operated and based on platforms, networked infrastructures and machine-learning. To enable a reflected use of these technological developments, we need to know more about how the devices are actually used. Language as an important key to cultural and technological processes can help to investigate the practical use and mapping the relation between social and technological developments. The example of Smart Speakers (as a central hub for smart-home environments) and the identification of methodological challenges that come along with them - as well as the discussion of possible solutions - are one contribution to a better understanding of AI in everyday-life.