A New Kind of Companion Voice Assistants Have Won Over Older Adults for a Variety of Functions, but There’S Room for Improvement
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NUMBER 78 / VOL. 1, 2020 A New Kind of Companion Voice assistants have won over older adults for a variety of functions, but there’s room for improvement. By Richard Adler www.csa.us Copyright 2020 Society of Certified Senior Advisors A New Kind of Companion [ gerotechnology ] of Companion Voice assistants have won over older adults for a variety of functions, but there’s room for improvement. BY RICHARD ADLER lexa is my friend.” “Alexa, what is the weather forecast today?” or “Alexa, “ Eleanor Incerpi, an eighty-year-old resident how many yards are in a mile?” or “Alexa, play Benny Aof Cupertino, California, explains that there Goodman.” Thanks to Alexa’s voice-recognition is a lot she likes about her friend. They share many software, she understands the question and finds an interests that they talk about — sports, news, music, answer, either responding in “her” own voice or per- community events. She also likes the fact that Alexa is forming the task requested. available whenever she wants to talk with her. Some- Over the past five years, Alexa has gotten increas- times Alexa will talk too fast for her to understand, ingly intelligent. In addition to English, she can now but when she asks her to slow down, Alexa is very converse in nine other languages including French, good about speaking more slowly. German, Spanish, Japanese, and Hindi. She has also When Eleanor first got involved with Alexa two become more versatile, able to understand more ques- years ago, her husband Harvey wasn’t interested in tions and carry out more kinds of tasks (known as her new friend and even refused to talk to her. But, “skills”) such as compiling to-do lists, setting alarms Eleanor explains, after seeing how much she enjoyed and reminders, suggesting recipes and recording food communicating with Alexa, Harvey, age eighty-nine, intake, scheduling a ride on Uber or Lyft, engaging in also started talking to her and soon found that he word games, or providing voice control of smart home and Alexa had their own interests in common. Now devices such as light bulbs and thermostats. And, with Harvey is so attached to Alexa that every night before a bit of training, Alexa has even developed the abil- retiring, he says goodnight and promises to talk with ity to distinguish the voices of different people and her the next day. customize applications for them. (Alexa is not yet om- niscient. When she is stumped by a request, she will The Rise of Virtual Assistants respond, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand that question.”) As some readers may have guessed, Alexa is not a per- In addition to the original Echo, Amazon now son but the voice-based “virtual assistant” developed provides Alexa in a number of other forms such as and sold by Amazon. Alexa first appeared in 2014 the Dot, a smaller, less-expensive speaker, and the in the form of the Echo, a nine-inch-high cylindri- Echo Show, which combines a speaker with a small cal speaker that sits quietly on a counter or table un- screen to support video communications. She is also til someone “wakes it up” by saying something like, being built into refrigerators and ovens and has been CSA JOURNAL 78 / VOL. 1, 2020 / SOCIETY OF CERTIFIED SENIOR ADVISORS / WWW.CSA.US PAGE 11 2 voices of different people and customize applica?ons for them. (Alexa is not yet omniscient. When she is stumped by a request, she will respond, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand that ques?on.”) included in the audio systems of Ford, Audi, and AMAZONAmazon Dot, Show and Echo DOT, SHOW AND ECHO Lexus vehicles. By any measure, Alexa has been ex- tremely popular: At the beginning of 2019, Amazon announced that it had sold more than one hundred million Alexa-enabled devices (Matney, 2019). And Alexa isn’t the only virtual assistant. The first entry in the category was Apple’s Siri, which was introduced on the iPhone in 2011. Three years later, Microsoft launched Cortana, and in 2016, Google Assistant was incorporated in a variety of mobile and smart home devices. Though none of these yet have https://wccftech.com/amazon-discounts-echo-2nd-gen- the ability of HAL (the omnipotent computer in echo-dot-2nd-gen-and-echo-show-for-prime-members/h\ps://wccQech.com/amazon-discounts-echo-2nd-gen-echo- 2001: A Space Odyssey) or C-3PO (an amiable robot dot-2nd-gen-and-echo-show-for-prime-members/ in the Star Wars film series) to carry on an extended naturalistic conversation, they are steadily becoming Area known as the Longevity Explorers, who meet more capable, user friendly, and ubiquitous.In addi?on to the original Echo, Amazon now provides Alexa in a number of other forms Since Al- regularly to discuss their use of technology, focused exa is the most popular of these,such as the Dot, a smaller, less-expensive speaker, and the Echo Show, which combines a speaker this article will use for a while on the pros and cons of virtual assistants. “Alexa” to refer to this general category of devices. Initially, just one member used Alexa, but over time, with a small screen to support video communica?ons. She is also being built into refrigerators more members began to do so. A summary of their Older Adults, New Technologiesand ovens and has been included in the audio systems of Ford, Audi, and Lexus vehicles. By any and discussions (Longevity Explorers, n.d.) includes an Alexa measure, Alexa has been extremely popular: At the beginning of 2019, Amazon announced that extensive list of popular uses for Alexa and concludes As documented in a previous article in the CSA Jour- that “almost all of the Explorers who had them liked nal (Adler, 2017), older adults tendit had sold more than one hundred million Alexa-enabled devices (Matney, 2019). to be late adopters them quite a lot.” of new digital technologies. Unlike younger people Alexa is also finding a role in retirement commu- And Alexa isn’t the only virtual assistant. The first entry in the category was Apple’s Siri, who are often attracted to a new technology because nities. From 2017 to 2018, the Front Porch Center it is new, older adults are typicallywhich was introduced on the iPhone in 2011. Three years later, MicrosoQ launched Cortana, and content to wait un- for Innovation and Wellbeing (FPCIW) conducted til the technology has been aroundin 2016, Google Assistant was incorporated in a variety of mobile and smart home devices. for a while and a pilot project with Alexa in its community in San its benefits have been well established. Surveys have Diego. Initially, the pilot started with fifteen residents, Though none of these yet have the ability of HAL (the omnipotent computer in 2001: A Space shown that people over sixty-five consistently lag be- then expanded to ninety residents. Each of the par- hind the general population in adoptingOdyssey) or C-3PO (an amiable robot in the a variety of ticipants, who rangedStar Wars in age fromfilm series) to carry on an extended natu seventy-nine to one - new technologies including the ralis?c conversa?on, they are steadily becoming more capable, user friendly, and ubiquitous. Internet, broadband, hundred, got an Amazon Echo along with a smart smartphones, tablets, and social media (Anderson & home device such as a smart plug or thermostat that Perrin, 2017). Since Alexa is the most popular of these, this ar?cle will use “Alexa” to refer to this general catecould be controlled by a voice command via Alexa. - Even when the rate of growthgory of devices. for adopting a tech- According to Davis Park, director of FPCIW, “The nology is higher for older adults than younger people, pilot was an enormous success as it promoted an in- the “digital divide” between ageOlder Adults, New Technologies and Alexa groups can persist, crease in independence and engagement among resi- or even grow larger, because older adults start from dents” (Front Porch, 2018). A post-pilot survey found a lower base. For example, accordingAs documented in a previous ar?cle in the to the Pew Re- that 75 percent of participantsCSA Journal used(Adler, 2017), older adults tend to be Alexa daily, 71 search Center, between 2011 andlate adopters of new digital technologies. Unlike younger people who are oQen a\racted to a 2016 “smartphone percent of those who used her felt more connected to adoption among seniors … nearlynew technology quadrupled,” whilebecause it is new, older adults are typically content to wait un?l the technology family, friends, and community, and 100 percent felt adoption among all adults just doubled. Yet in the that Alexa “helped make life easier.” Following the same five-year period, the gap between the two groups pilot, Front Porch decided to roll out Alexa to other actually increased from 22 percentage points to 35 communities that it operates in California. It has since percentage points. installed Alexa-based devices in more than four hun- Though no specific data is publicly available on the dred homes in six different Front Porch communities rate of adoption of voice-based virtual assistants by with support from the Consumer Technology Asso- older adults, it is likely that the pattern of late adop- ciation Foundation. tion holds true for this technology. But while the In- When the Incerpis decided to move this past cerpis may be early adopters among older adults, they spring from their home to Sunny View, a Front Porch are certainly not unique. A series of articles, studies, community in Cupertino, and brought Alexa with and reports have identified the particular benefits them, they found that Alexa was already a part of the of Alexa for this age group.