Humans and Machines: The Domestication of Voice

• In Event: Domestic Technologies: Place, Person, Process – I

Abstract

In Lauren McCarthy’s work LAUREN, the artist installs cameras, customized software, and hardware in a willing participant’s home and for 3 consecutive days, the artist performs as assistive technology in the same way someone would operate an Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple's Siri. Similar to voice-activated technology, LAUREN is able to provide, if not better, assistance to the participant. Through her observations, LAUREN learns the nuances of her participant’s behavior and may preemptively execute an action. For instance, LAUREN will turn down the lights down when she sees the participant preparing for bed. McCarthy’s work puts the onus on the participant to responsibly transmit commands to her in a way that may not occur with other assistive technology. In LAUREN, McCarthy’s intentions and offerings are meant to exceed the overtly synthetic presence of mass-produced, pre-programmed assistive technologies. LAUREN doesn’t merely perform tasks, she is both benevolent and omnipresent. But do we want technology to be human-like? Is the purpose of artificial and assistive technology meant to ease the burden of daily life such as chores and creating shopping lists? Or, do we desire machines and devices as entities with the special skill to intuit our needs based on our actions and trebles to our voice?

Author

• Dorothy Resplandor Santos, University of California, Santa Cruz