Monday, November 01, 2004
Apologies from a machine
Computers can be given 'personalities' using a few basic cues that people will respond to. We have an innate tendency to regard other apparently complex entities as being 'human', and so we often interact with technology as if we are interacting with another person (how many times have you cursed your VCR, or thanked a ticket machine?)
A machine that passes itself off as an individual offers a different model of interaction. One of our student bloggers has remarked on a shift of perspective brought about by computers saying "I" rather than "it". At Birmingham New Street station, the automated announcement system can be heard to say "I am very sorry for the delay". Did they choose this option, I wonder, over "We are very sorry for the delay?" Note the difference: the first implies an apologetic individual, the second a faceless corporation. I don't know if they did any user preference testing with this system, but there was a choice there and somebody made it. Being fully aware that this is just a machine doing the announcements, the apologies mean absolutely nothing to me, but I wonder just how apologetic this voice sounds to less frequent travellers.
Computers can be given 'personalities' using a few basic cues that people will respond to. We have an innate tendency to regard other apparently complex entities as being 'human', and so we often interact with technology as if we are interacting with another person (how many times have you cursed your VCR, or thanked a ticket machine?)
A machine that passes itself off as an individual offers a different model of interaction. One of our student bloggers has remarked on a shift of perspective brought about by computers saying "I" rather than "it". At Birmingham New Street station, the automated announcement system can be heard to say "I am very sorry for the delay". Did they choose this option, I wonder, over "We are very sorry for the delay?" Note the difference: the first implies an apologetic individual, the second a faceless corporation. I don't know if they did any user preference testing with this system, but there was a choice there and somebody made it. Being fully aware that this is just a machine doing the announcements, the apologies mean absolutely nothing to me, but I wonder just how apologetic this voice sounds to less frequent travellers.
Comments:
Interestingly enough, if you listen to the announcements carefully at birmingham New St station, you will find that if a train is delayed further, they will add bits to the message, or change it.
for example, if your train is delayed beyond a certain amount of time the expression "sorry" becomes "very sorry," and the word delay becomes "extreme delay."
Clearly some thought has gone into this, although it would be interesting to hear whether the fact that this is a mechanised system and fairly obviously so, means people will identify less with the voice leading to them being less placated by the use of extra adjective.
Vanishingrad aka Alex.
Post a Comment
for example, if your train is delayed beyond a certain amount of time the expression "sorry" becomes "very sorry," and the word delay becomes "extreme delay."
Clearly some thought has gone into this, although it would be interesting to hear whether the fact that this is a mechanised system and fairly obviously so, means people will identify less with the voice leading to them being less placated by the use of extra adjective.
Vanishingrad aka Alex.
(c) 2003-2005 Russell Beale
Atom
RSS