Amazon may choose depicted female voices for their AI, yet the reasoning behind the deep societal troupes of sexualized and feminized AI is rooted in sexism and misogyny. Historically speaking, machines have often been referred to as females. Think of Forrest’s boat named Jenny in Forrest Gump. Referencing “toys” like cars and boats as ‘she’ is nothing new, so when moving into more technological advancements like AI, gendering does not come as a surprise. Considering this with the sentiment that female voices are considered more trustworthy and less threatening, characters like Siri and Alexa were stable picks. But, some researchers claim there might be alternative motives towards picking inviting voices. Heather Woods, a researcher and professor at Kansas State pointed out that choosing a feminine and trustable voice is intended to cause a trusting relationship between consumers and their devices, an aspect companies can utilize and commodify.5 Data collection companies can track and store your voice commands, searches and all other personal data. Devices like Google Homes and Amazon Echos are even known to listen in and store audio data 24/7, even when the AI technology is not in usage.6 This data can then be used, like all other forms of big data, to sell, interpret and commodify for other brands and businesses. Alexa has 80,000 apps with companies like Nike and Tide giving brands a direct ‘in’ to consumers in their daily lives.7 Heather Suzanne Woods, “Asking more of Siri and Alexa: feminine persona in service of surveillance capitalism,” Taylor & Francis Online, January 2, 2018. 6 Matt Day, “You’re Home Alone with Alexa. Are Your Secrets Safe?” Bloomberg, December 20, 2019. 7 Matt Day. “Amazon Alexa Has 80,000 5
Just like traditional, human female bodies, the bodies of robots and other mechanical beings are hyper-sexualized. Building a strong relationship with your friendly Alexa is one way Amazon can track you down and sell you off in their capitalistic practices. But this still doesn’t answer why gendered technologies are the default. Just like traditional, human female bodies, the bodies of robots and other mechanical beings are hyper-sexualized. In 2016 Sophia by Hanson Robotics, a life-like female humanoid robot gained recognition by appearing on 60 Minutes, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, going on a date with Will Smith and other various forms of media coverage.8 When googling Sophia, the first video that pops-up deems her “hot,” followed by various headlines covering a story from when Sophia announced she did not engage in sexual activity.9 Another notable humanoid robot, Erica by Hiroshi Ishiguro, was made with the intention of being the most beautiful woman, ranging in versions from “demurely conservative” to “sassy and stylish.” When men went on a date with the robot they were Apps—and No Runaway Hit,” Bloomberg, March 11, 2019. 8 Pascale Fung, “This is why AI has a gender problem,” World Economic Forum, June 20, 2019. 9 Google, Sophia the Robot Search, March 12, 2021.
said to have blushed while flirting even though they were totally aware she wasn’t real.10 This sexual obsession and peculiar sexual intentions can be explained through the root term technosexual, a sexual and/or intimate desire for technological humanoid bodies.11 Although not all who create or adhere to feminine humanoids or feminine AI in general may identify with this term, the concept of technosexuality can lead to why technology is feminized. Humanoids can be altered and manipulated to act, look and behave in any desired way. When people alter these technologies to an ideal female body or character they are perpetuating traditional gender norms and creating a reallife impossible in mechanical form. This is especially harmful when done through the male gaze, which is the act depicting women through a heterosexual male persepctive. Humanoides created with this idealized, picturesque intentions hurt women who don’t look like that, don’t act like and don’t need to. → Pascale Fung, “This is why AI has a gender problem,” World Economic Forum, June 20, 2019. 11 Ann-Renee Clark, ‘Love From the Machine: Technosexualities and the Desire of Mechanic Bodies,” FIU Digital Commons, June 25, 2019. 10
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