Why is Alexa a woman? Why is Siri? From AI to Barbies, Julie Wosk explores the array of simulated females in today’s world — and just how realistic they’ve become.
Wosk’s research focuses on gender and technology. And, in her most recent book, “Artificial Women: Sex Dolls, Robot Caregivers, and More Facsimile Females,” she explores what these imitations say about our own ideas of sexuality and gender.
Wosk joined The Show to speak more about it.
Full conversation
JULIE WOSK: Several years ago, I was in a flea market, and I saw this mannequin head of a woman peering out at me, and I thought, “Wow, she looks real.” And she was out of a paper bag, and I took a photograph of it and called it “Bag Woman.”
And it occurred to me that that's the kind of moment we were already getting into where simulated females look real. And that's — it could be wonderful or it could be troubling.
LAUREN GILGER: That's interesting. I want to begin with the scope of this, too. Like, I don't think most of us probably even realize all of the ways in which there are what you're calling artificial women around. Whether it's in technology, robotics, voice technology, AI. What's the scope of this?
WOSK: It's a very broad scope. It includes stationary mannequins, but it's also anytime you see an avatar online or video game or movies like Barbie, and these avatars that people can create themselves using artificial intelligence. So, I feel like it's, in many ways, all around us. Of course, I should mention Siri and Alexa. They're so important in our lives — with their female voices.
GILGER: So let me ask you about Siri and Alexa. This is the probably the most ubiquitous example that you write about here, right? Let me begin with a very basic question here, which is why are these voices women's voices?
WOSK: Well, they started off that way because researchers felt — and Amazon felt — that a female voice is more pleasing. Also, people are used to women being helpful and polite, and they feel they're trustworthy as a voice they can listen to. Now, not too many years ago was the male voice added. And also, I will say there are warning voices in cockpits. So pilots listen to a female voice often as a warning signal.
GILGER: Right. I wanted to ask you about this. This is referred to as something Betty — a word I probably can't say on-air. Tell us about that.
WOSK: Yes, yeah, they have a name. It’s a version of nagging Betty. Although it's interesting, the research is not yet out whether male or female voices are more effective for very serious warning — if a hydraulic system is not working, for example — and they used to think a female voice could cut through cockpit chatter easier. Now they’re still debating that.
GILGER: So the idea that our virtual assistants or many of these kinds of virtual voices we have around us that are there to help us or to warn us, right? Like the idea that those are women's voices, what does that say about how we still view women today? Like, is this a step backward in some ways that might seem inane but maybe isn't?
WOSK: Yeah, you could say that because women traditionally have been in helper and kind of servant roles. Very often simulated women are very agreeable and compliant. They’ll do whatever you want. So it is an ongoing stereotype. Although recently, Siri and Alexa have been reprogrammed. So, if somebody says something to them that they don't really want to hear or isn’t polite, instead of deflecting and not even answering, now, they'll say, “I won't respond to that.” Or “Please don't talk to me that way.” So, that tells us something.
GILGER: That's interesting. So, that's even reflected in Alexa. Is there a question about consent here? Is that part of the picture?
WOSK: Definitely. Female voices and simulated women — and very often in versions that I'm talking about — never resist or complain.
GILGER: Let me ask you lastly about this idea of the “perfect woman” and that kind of theme that seems to come throughout your book here. Where does that appear? And what does all of this technology and the way that women are artificial in so many ways — what does it say about that?
WOSK: Well, there’s a long tradition, especially a man who created artificial women — one way or another either as a manufacturer kind of or virtual kind — that they have this fantasy that the perfect woman is, as I say, very beautiful and agreeable, probably doesn't have many thoughts of her own, very docile.
But lately, in films, you can see — and in short stories — that there’s a kind of new breed of robots. They want their freedom and independence. They’re rebellious. So stereotypes about women are changing, and I think they’re married in these simulated women.
And they’re also working on what are called socially assistive robots. They’re robots that will help people who are elderly, which will become increasingly needed, or people who have disabilities. And so that's something that’s very good.
I think one worry people have is that these simulations might someday displace us. Some people might think they’re superior to real human beings, and they’d rather talk to a simulated being, and it might hurt social relationships in one way or another.
GILGER: All right, we'll leave it there. Julie Wosk, author of “Artificial Women: Sex Dolls, Robot Caregivers, and More Facsimile Females,” joining us to talk more about the book. Julie, thank you for coming on. I appreciate it.
WOSK: Yes, thank you for having me.
