Citation Link: https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565231189584
Intelligent Personal Assistants in practice. Situational agencies and the multiple forms of cooperation without consensus
Publication Type
Article
Subjects
Agency (philosophy)
Situational ethics
Conversation
Work (physics)
Service (business)
Knowledge management
Computer science
Relation (database)
Internet privacy
Service provider
Interface (matter)
Situation awareness
Public relations
Business
Sociology
Psychology
Social psychology
Marketing
Political science
Engineering
Date Issued
2023
Abstract
There are at least two perspectives concerning the role of digital and connected media systems in relation to individual agency. One suggests that individuals have a gain in agency while using digital devices and services while other approaches see that users become dependent on tech companies that use data flows to analyse and manipulate user behaviour. In our paper, we want to examine empirically how those two descriptions of agency work out and relate to each other. We use conversation analysis of face-to-interface interactions with smart speakers and intelligent personal assistants to examine the agency in front of the device and we rely on interviews with smart-speaker users to understand the users’ strategies to curtail the potentially unwanted effects of smart and connected devices and services. With reference to concepts of ‘co-operative work’ and ‘cooperation without consensus’ and a discussion of media and data practices, this paper elucidates how the two agencies of users and of device and service providers are intertwined and distributed.
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