Interacting with machines to communicate with other humans is the foundation of the internet. In the digital realm, we use intelligent machines on a daily basis, from our smart phones to Netflix to search engines and social media sites.
Communication professionals need to adapt and learn how to leverage artificial intelligence. There are valid concerns about the “rapid evolution of speech and natural language processing technologies” (Berkol & Demirtas, 2023). This kind of machine learning encroaches on the word-based domain of media specialists.
Can’t we all just get along?
“Human–machine interactions (HMIs) describe how humans engage various systems, including those that are smart, autonomous, or both” (Reid & Gibert, 2022). According to these researchers, this interaction can be placed in three categories:
- The human is active in the interaction. The human is the user or purchaser of the technology.
- The human is passive but consenting to the interaction, like the use of devices for medical purposes.
- The human is passive and nonconsenting in the interaction, such as the use of facial recognition for law enforcement purposes.
Effectively interacting with these evolving language processing technologies can “provide better feedback to students, make learning materials more accessible, and aid in language acquisition”, as well as “facilitate communication between individuals who speak different languages” (Berkol & Demirtas, 2023). Also, these machines can translate data into maps for use in archaeology.
References
Berkol, A., & Demirtas, I. G. (2023). Advancing human-machine interaction: Speech and natural language processing. 2023 7th International Symposium on Innovative Approaches in Smart Technologies (ISAS), Innovative Approaches in Smart Technologies (ISAS), 2023 7th International Symposium On, 1–5. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1109/ISAS60782.2023.10391814
Reid, T., & Gibert, J. (2022). Inclusion in human–machine interactions. Science, 375(6577), 149–150. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1126/science.abf2618
