Challenges with Voice Assistants for the Elderly in Semi-Public Spaces

Abstract

Voice Assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home have recently made inroads into all walks of life as is evident from their popularity, and the growing number of users. Traditionally, research on elderly people with voice assistants has focused on private spaces - bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms. Due to privacy concerns, ethical issues, legal issues, and noisy environments, their use in public and semi-public spaces are discouraged. However, by carefully mitigating these concerns, voice assistants could still find applications in semi-public spaces for elderly people. This paper summarizes the preliminary insights from 8 interviews that we conducted with elderly people and throws light on the potential areas where voice assistants could be used in semi-public spaces.