Abstract
This study presents a co-design project that invites participants with little or no background in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to design their ideal virtual assistants (VAs) for everyday (/daily) use. VAs are differently designed and function when integrated into people’s daily lives (e.g., voice-controlled VAs are designed to blend in based on their natural qualities). To further understand users’ ideas of their ideal VA designs, participants were invited to generate designs of personal VAs. However, end users may have unrealistic expectations of future technologies. Therefore, design fiction was adopted as a method of guiding the participants’ image of the future and carefully managing their realistic, as well as unrealistic, expectations of future technologies. The result suggests the need for a human–AI relationship based on controls with various dimensions (e.g., vocalness degree and autonomy level) instead of specific features. The design insights are discussed in detail. Additionally, the co-design process offers insights into how users can participate in AI/ML designs.
Highlights
Since Apple introduced Siri in 2011 [1], the concept of voice-activated virtual assistants (VAs) has been widely adopted by many users—from the phones in their pockets to the watches on their waists—and significantly influences their daily lives
The co-design process offers insights into how users can participate in artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) designs
VA functionalities available in the mass market remain for basic tasks, such as information retrieval and simple entertainment [2,3]
Summary
Since Apple introduced Siri in 2011 [1], the concept of voice-activated virtual assistants (VAs) has been widely adopted by many users—from the phones in their pockets to the watches on their waists—and significantly influences their daily lives. Smart or connected home devices have become more accessible and more powerful than ever. The introduction of VA helped push smart homes into the mass market as VAs free users from the need of connecting numerous apps to devices via simple and natural voice dialogues. Technology reviews and research argued whether VAs are useful to users’ daily lives [4,5,6]. Very limited attention from the research community was paid to VA design methods that incorporate users. This project attempts to fill this gap. The primary focus is how to involve users in the design process while managing their expectations of future technologies
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