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Alexa and the Intersectional Interface

Authors: Munn, Luke (S33050);

Alexa and the Intersectional Interface

Abstract

The interface, Francois Dagognet wrote, is a “fertile nexus.” Rather than an immaterial surface or an impartial gateway, the interface itself continually draws upon political, social and cultural sources, all which work to encourage particular productivities while suppressing or negating others. This article explores the specific properties of Amazon Alexa, the “digital assistant” for the home who plays music, delivers news, tells jokes, and plays games. Of course, Alexa interfaces with content — a deluge of diverse applications and information are smoothly brought together through her consistent voice and coherent personality. But Alexa also interfaces with history — she is part of a longer genealogy of gendered interfaces from Siri and Cortana all the way back to Bell Labs, a genealogy predicated on a subjectivity of subservience. Alexa also interfaces with capital — the “Skills” she can learn, and which the user must remember and repeat, are based on a landscape of corporate brands and commercial products. Finally, Alexa interfaces with culture — the predominantly white male culture of contemporary software production shapes the type of sexuality and subjectivity embodied by the bot. Following Alexander Galloway, the interface can thus be understood less as a mere palimpsest of previous traces, and more as a generative performance in the present. The runaway success of Alexa has established her as a universal mediator for the smart home and a model for the internet of things. As the prototype of a technical vision, Alexa’s performative interfacing — and the politics enacted through it — need critical examination.

Keywords

Cultural Studies, 200102 - Communication Technology and Digital Media Studies, Linguistics and Language, History, Artificial intelligence, Literature and Literary Theory, assistive computer technology, voice, PE1-3729, 970120 - Expanding Knowledge in Languages, Language and Linguistics, Alexa, English language, human-computer interaction, D, smarthome, home automation, gender, interface, History (General) and history of Europe, assistant, Communication and Culture

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    This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    1
    popularity
    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    Average
    impulse
    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
1
Average
Average
Average
gold