Critical Technology

The Critical Technology podcast explores cutting edge research on the social, cultural, and political implications of new technological developments. For our second season, we're focusing on game changing scholarship and theories about children, youth, and digital technology -- in recognition of the adoption of General Comment 25: Children's Rights in the Digital Environment by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, in early 2021. The Critical Technology podcast is an initiative of the Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI) at the University of Toronto. Produced, edited and hosted by Dr. Sara Grimes (KMDI Director/Professor at the Faculty of Information). Audio mix and sound design by Mika Sustar. Music by Nicholas Manalo. Theme song by Taekun Park. Illustrations by Kenji Toyooka. Podcast logo by JP King. You can find additional info and materials for each episode on our website: http://kmdi.utoronto.ca/the-critical-technology-podcast/

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Critical Technology

Kids and Emotional AI

February 14, 2022 • Season 2 • Episode 4

As smart toys, virtual assistants, and machine learning apps spread across our homes and schools, an increasing number of children are now living, learning, and growing up around artificial intelligence or “AI”. Yet, we still know very little about children’s relationship with AI, how they feel about the seemingly knowledgeable voices coming out of their electronic devices, or how AI responds to children’s feelings. In this episode, Dr. Sara Grimes (Director of the KMDI) chats with Dr. Andrew McStay, Professor of Digital Life at Bangor University (Wales, UK) and Director of the Emotional AI Lab about the ethics and impacts of AI technologies designed to read and respond to our emotions, and their growing presence in children’s lives. The discussion is focused on two of Dr. McStay’s recent articles in the journal Big Data & Society: “Emotional artificial intelligence in children’s toys and devices: Ethics, governance and practical remedies,” co-authored with Dr. Gilad Rosner (2021), and “Emotional AI, soft biometrics and the surveillance of emotional life: An unusual consensus on privacy” (2020).
[Please Note: The news story described at the very start of the intro happened in late 2021, not 2020. With apologies for the error and any resulting confusion!]

Type of research discussed in today’s episode: mixed-method research; social science; media/communication studies; philosophy of technology; ethics; law/policy research.

Keywords for today’s episode: artificial intelligence (AI); emotion; empathy; feeling into; soft biometrics; emotoys; generational unfairness; technological ambivalence; governance; data protection and privacy; children’s rights.

For more information and a full transcript of each episode, check out our website: http://kmdi.utoronto.ca/the-critical-technology-podcast/

Send questions or comments to: criticaltechpod.kmdi@utoronto.ca

People on this episode

Sara Grimes

Host