«Alexa, mum and dad are arguing again»

Smart speakers from Apple, Amazon and others are making their way into children's rooms. What happens when children interact with voice assistants? And what dangers does this entail?

Whether or not a voice assistant is used in the children's room usually depends on the parents' attitude towards technology. Some have no reservations whatsoever when it comes to new technologies. They enjoy the convenient functions of the latest gadgets and have no problem letting their children use them. We are already familiar with this carefree approach from smartphones, when even one-year-olds are handed the device in their pushchair without a second thought.

Through the use of artificial intelligence, children are forgetting how to establish real social contacts and empathy.

Other parents, on the other hand, are very sceptical about technical innovations and try to keep them away from their children for as long as possible. Their circle of friends then accuses them of being unrealistic and hostile to technology. Admittedly, it is not always easy to find the right path for yourself and your child's upbringing when it comes to technology. When it comes to voice assistants, it is particularly difficult to take a clear stance. This is because - unlike with television, video games or smartphones - there is still little experience available.

Overcoming the keyboard

Voice assistants are offered by Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and many others. Some are integrated into the computer, others are stand-alone devices that have internet access with or without a screen and respond to voice commands. We should pay tribute to one truly remarkable function: Digital assistants such as Amazon's Alexa understand every spoken word. Around 50 years after Stanley Kubrick's «2001 A Space Odyssey» and the on-board computer HAL, mankind's long-cherished wish to be able to speak to computers and be understood by them is being fulfilled. Excellent speech recognition is particularly important because it is the only way to realise the greatest advantage of assistants: overcoming the keyboard.

Critics speak of the «bug» in the living room

If you have a voice assistant, you no longer have to press small display letters. This is why digital voice assistants will soon be as normal in everyday life as light switches, especially as they are also seen as a convenient control element for networked smart devices and smart homes. At the same time, voice assistants are met with enormous mistrust. Critics talk of the «bug» in the living room that is always listening in on everything. Strangely enough, most people have no problem carrying their smartphone with them at all times or placing it an arm's length away on the table. With computers, the camera can still be taped shut. But what helps with voice assistants? A warming cover like the one on the coffee pot? The manufacturers of Alexa & Co. try to dispel concerns about eavesdropping by emphasising that these devices are not permanent eavesdroppers because they only respond to a keyword. Nevertheless, the question must be asked: In order for voice assistants to recognise the keyword at all, don't they have to be constantly listening?

What do children get out of voice assistants?

Children of pre-school age in particular, who are not yet able to read and write, can use voice assistants to gain barrier-free access to the Internet. For example, the assistant can read out a bedtime story on request. If the device is paired with other smart devices such as a TV, it is important to pay attention to the security settings. This is also because Alexa belongs to the online retailer Amazon and accidental purchases by children should be prevented.

Voice assistants may be quite nice for adults. But they have no place in a child's bedroom.

Older children can ask digital assistants specific questions - similar to search engines on a PC. As long as it is general information («Will it rain today?»), the results are satisfactory. However, as soon as they demand more complex information for school and homework, the results are rarely comprehensible or suitable for children. Amazon's Alexa has so-called «skills». These are programmes that third-party providers have developed specifically for this assistant. To date, there are around 5,000 skills in German-speaking countries and 50,000 worldwide. They read out timetables, offer games, play the radio and much more. It's not easy to keep track of everything. And here too, unfortunately, aspects relevant to the protection of minors have not yet received too much attention.

My friend, the human machine

There is another point to bear in mind: When dealing with voice assistants, children no longer realise that they are talking to a computer programme. This is due to the female voice with its pleasant modulation. Because she sounds like a normal person, younger children in particular tend to trust her and see her as a friend. Parents often don't even know what children are talking about with the device («Mum and dad are arguing again!»).

And if they've grown up with it, they might pour their hearts out to the voice assistant about school problems or heartache as they get older. What do these devices do with all this information? The utmost caution is required when it comes to data protection or the data collection mania of online providers. In addition, the use of artificial intelligence restricts children from learning how to establish real social contacts and, above all, empathy. Finally, these devices harbour the risk of becoming a substitute partner. This has fundamental social consequences, as we are already seeing with the use of smartphones. Conclusion: Voice assistants may be quite nice for adults. They have no place in a child's bedroom.

You need to be aware of this when using voice assistants

  • Vor Gerätekauf Informationen sammeln, gründlich deren Vor- und Nachteile abwägen. Jedes Gerät ist anders, somit auch die Einstellungen.
  • Sich bewusst machen, dass mangelnder Jugendschutz ein massives Problem darstellt: kein Sprachassistent im Kinderzimmer.
  • Sind die Geräte mit anderen Diensten ( Streaming) oder Geräten verbunden, müssen dort jugendschutzrelevante Einstellungen festgelegt werden.
  • Viele Geräte sind Shops: Die Kauffunktionen sollten unbedingt deaktiviert werden.
  • Nur für Kinder geeignete Skills anzeigen lassen.
  • Eigene Anfragen regelmässig löschen.

More from Thomas Feibel:

  • Medienkompetenz war gestern. Kinder brauchen Lesefähigkeit!Benötigen Kinder und Jugendliche wirklich Kompetenz im Umgang mit Medien? Unser Kolumnist sagt Nein. 
  • Die digitale Schule- was bringen Schweizer Schulen unseren Kindern über Medien respektive Medienkonsum bei und warum ist diese Entwicklung so schwierig.