What’s in a Name?

When my daughter was born, I was ready with what I considered to be the perfect name. It could be “massaged” to a shortened version suitable for a young girl (Lexy) and later morph into a mature sounding name indicative of a young adult (Alexa). I was so proud of myself for settling on such a versatile and unique name. In my opinion the Saras, Nicoles and Jennifers of the world couldn’t hold a candle to my original, brilliant choice. Little did I know that 30 years later my bubble would burst….no, it would actually explode.

When Amazon decided to name their virtual assistant Alexa, in the blink of an eye my daughter’s beautiful, unique name became a household word. Millions of times a day in homes around the world, people tell Alexa to perform a myriad of tasks and my Alexa is no exception.

Now her friends teasingly enjoy telling her to turn on the tv or start their playlist or any number of silly tasks. If she is visiting a home that has an “Alexa,” and her name is mentioned, it confuses the Amazon Alexa and often results in much laughter. I have sheepishly apologized to my daughter for burdening her with such a heavy cross to bear.

On a global scale, there is even more fun to be had. The internet is flooded with Alexa memes, directing her to perform ridiculous tasks or asking deep philosophical questions. Apparently one can spend hours of frivolity conversing with her.

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But interacting with her is not always seamless or funny. She has been known to misunderstand a question or misinterpret a directive. Middle Sis reports that their Alexa is currently turning lights on and off at odd hours and when asked for a weather report the other day, she gave a garbled description of a place Middle had never heard of. Sometimes Alexa simply ignores requests and she has been known to get into arguments.

These are harmless and funny anecdotes, and Lord knows we all can use a laugh in these isolated and depressing times, but perhaps there is a need to dig a bit deeper.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

First, the good: No one can deny the convenience factor. Alexa is truly helpful and a convenient source of knowledge. We can get instant gratification with virtually no thought or action on our part. We don’t have to look up from what we are doing, wait for a computer screen or even press a key, and there are weekly websites devoted to suggestions on interacting with Alexa as a diversion and ways she can be of assistance. She is clearly embedded into the lives of many of us.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/01/ask-alexa-the-best-alexa-commands-tips-tricks-and-skills/

And now the bad and ugly: At the risk of displaying my “blatant boomerism,” ( I can remember when we had to get up and go to the TV to change the channel or consult an encyclopedia if we needed to search the answer to a question), I have concerns. Yes, the horse is out of the barn but we can still choose whether or not to let Alexa or other virtual assistants into our lives. What we gain in convenience and light diversion may result in losses in other areas of our lives. Consider the following:

• Alexa is always on duty unless we turn her off. If she is to be instantly available, she must be constantly in the background waiting to hear her “wake word.” If she is awake, is she listening and possibly recording or storing our info and how do we know if she is? Is our privacy at risk? The video in the following link gives an interesting insight into this topic.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/01/are-alexa-and-google-assistant-spying-on-us/

• Social interaction is diminished. Whereas we might have phoned a friend for advice or information, its much easier to ask Alexa. Thus an opportunity to connect with another human even on a limited, brief basis is lost. Particularly in today”s Covid isolation era, should it not be a priority to foster human interactions, rather than limit them even further?

• Self reflection and decision making is often forfeited when we defer to Alexa. It is far too easy to trust that her responses are correct and to do so without any real thought on our part. In my opinion this is a huge loss. Our brain needs to be busy and active to maintain health and plasticity.

Well so much for my profound thoughts on this topic. How did I get from the frivolous and inane to such a serious place? Am I being too pessimistic and depressing? Should we be afraid of artificial intelligence? Are we as a society doomed? And most importantly, should I have named my daughter Alexa? After all, what’s in a name? Let me think a bit more on that. I’ll get back to you.

We plan to publish a new post every Monday, so stay tuned for our next one entitled ” The Colonel and I.”