The Nuisance Name…
“Your name is setting off my device!”
Imagine becoming an inconvenience to millions of people simply for wanting to be called by your own name - and all because of a product that would function just as well if it were called by a neutral word instead of a name. It seems incredible, but that’s exactly what’s happening to people named Alexa (and similar) - the users of Amazon’s virtual assistant have come to resent their presence because it inevitably leads to false wakes and disruptions. And because these devices are practically everywhere, so, too, are the places where people named Alexa (and similar) are now an annoyance for wanting the same access to their own name that other humans have.
“If you named your child Alexa, y’all can’t be hanging out over here.”
Many of the users of Amazon’s virtual assistant are blunt on social media about their desire to avoid interacting with people named Alexa (and similar). One can only guess how many others feel the same but aren’t posting about it publicly. Imagine the uproar and condemnation that these people would receive if they were saying the same things about people with disabilities, or of a certain race.
What are the ramifications of having a name that makes you into a nuisance for others? Think of how it would hamper you in every area of your life if you triggered devices and annoyed people whenever you used your own name. What would be the costs to you if you insisted on using your name in spite of this? A young actress named Alexa was routinely told not to say her own name during auditions; if she had spoken up to object, would that have jeopardized her chance of being picked for parts? She eventually changed her name, citing this type of situation as one of the reasons why.
People named Alexa (and similar) don’t need to be physically present to cause problems for device users
Virtual classes and meetings:
Even before the pandemic, video meetings had been getting more popular, but now they’re a common tool to connect people for social, educational, and professional purposes. Unfortunately, the convenience of this option is coming at a steep price for people named Alexa (and similar), because it dramatically increases the likelihood of them encountering devices that will go off whenever they’re addressed. While this can still be an issue when meetings are held in person, the chances of one or more of the participants having an Amazon AI device goes up exponentially when the participants are in their homes.
Problem name = problem student…
During the height of distance learning, all sorts of stories surfaced on Twitter about the wild disruptions Amazon’s AI was causing in virtual classrooms when it incorrectly perceived that the teacher calling on a student named Alexa (or similar) was a user giving it a command. Reactions to these incidents from those present tended to be as chaotic as the interruptions, ranging from amusement, to annoyance, and often including the frantic screaming of “Alexa!! Stop!!” from the device’s owner. Rarely did it seem that anyone was taking measures to keep it from happening again, other than the teacher giving the student a new name. Supposing you were a teacher in such a situation, and you noticed that each time you called on a certain student, devices would go off and chaos would ensue - would you be eager to call that student’s name again? Or would you be much more likely to try and avoid saying it so as to prevent another class disruption? It’s not a stretch to conclude that students named Alexa (and similar) are less likely to be included in virtual class discussions because their name is a wake word. In fact, some students with these names actually noticed how their instructors had stopped calling on them.
Next: There to Take Orders