This thesis aims to outline an overview of the link between tech companies, big data and voice assistants. Big data is increasingly important for companies, and the platforms on which the digital economy is based have made it the mainstay of their business. First of all, because in today's society the availability of this data is immense: users produce it continuously and in large quantities, also due to the different types of data that exist, namely transactional data, user-generated content and software-generated content. User data is used to predict and influence consumption and to improve artificial intelligence systems. One technology that sums up these two goals is voice assistants: smart speakers such as Alexa and Google Home from users' voice commands and generally from sounds made in the home context are able to extract data that will then come from platforms. Given the spread of these devices in Italy as well, an empirical research was conducted in which eight smart speaker users participated. Starting from the analysis of user expectations, infrastructural circumstances, personal motivations, and integration of the assistants into routines, we sought to investigate how much Alexa and Google Home were present in users' daily lives and how aware they were of the exploitation of their data. The interviewed users do not see any particular risks to their privacy, as they do not think there is any real danger behind sharing their data to the platforms, This is because the surveillance of these companies is now part of the current socio-economic environment, so consumers are resigned and try to exploit this process in their favor.
La presente tesi vuole delineare una panoramica sul legame tra tech company, big data e assistenti vocali. I big data sono sempre più importanti per le aziende e le piattaforme su cui si basa la digital economy ne hanno fatto il pilastro del loro business. Innanzitutto perché nella società attuale la disponibilità di questi dati è immensa: gli utenti li producono continuamente e in grande quantità, dovuta anche ai diversi tipi di dati esistenti, ossia transactional data, user-generated content e software-generated content. I dati degli utenti vengono usati per prevedere e influenzare i consumi e per migliorare i sistemi di intelligenza artificiale. Una tecnologia che riassume questi due obiettivi è quella degli assistenti vocali: gli smart speaker come Alexa e Google Home dai comandi vocali degli utenti e in generale dai suoni emessi nel contesto domestico riescono a estrarre dati che verranno poi dalle piattaforme. Vista la diffusione di questi dispositivi anche in Italia, è stata condotta una ricerca empirica a cui hanno partecipato otto utilizzatori di smart speaker. Partendo dall’analisi di aspettative dell’utente, circostanza infrastrutturali, motivazioni personali e integrazione degli assistenti nella routine, si è cercato di indagare quanto Alexa e Google Home fossero presenti nella vita quotidiana degli utenti e quanto questi fossero consapevoli dello sfruttamento dei propri dati. Gli utenti intervistati non vedono particolari rischi per la propria privacy, dato che non pensano ci sia un vero pericolo dietro alla condivisione dei propri dati alle piattaforme, Questo perché la sorveglianza di queste aziende è ormai parte del contesto socio-economico attuale, pertanto i consumatori sono rassegnati e cercano di sfruttare questo processo a loro favore.
Assistenti vocali: come le tech company utilizzano i big data
CONTIN, ELISA
2021/2022
Abstract
This thesis aims to outline an overview of the link between tech companies, big data and voice assistants. Big data is increasingly important for companies, and the platforms on which the digital economy is based have made it the mainstay of their business. First of all, because in today's society the availability of this data is immense: users produce it continuously and in large quantities, also due to the different types of data that exist, namely transactional data, user-generated content and software-generated content. User data is used to predict and influence consumption and to improve artificial intelligence systems. One technology that sums up these two goals is voice assistants: smart speakers such as Alexa and Google Home from users' voice commands and generally from sounds made in the home context are able to extract data that will then come from platforms. Given the spread of these devices in Italy as well, an empirical research was conducted in which eight smart speaker users participated. Starting from the analysis of user expectations, infrastructural circumstances, personal motivations, and integration of the assistants into routines, we sought to investigate how much Alexa and Google Home were present in users' daily lives and how aware they were of the exploitation of their data. The interviewed users do not see any particular risks to their privacy, as they do not think there is any real danger behind sharing their data to the platforms, This is because the surveillance of these companies is now part of the current socio-economic environment, so consumers are resigned and try to exploit this process in their favor.È consentito all'utente scaricare e condividere i documenti disponibili a testo pieno in UNITESI UNIPV nel rispetto della licenza Creative Commons del tipo CC BY NC ND.
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/2811