Unesco makes a statement about women’s voices

Reminiscent of dystopian films and work like 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale, director Paula Buraque doesn’t shy away from bold comparisons in Hey, Update My Voice. 

As men’s voices echo overhead, women are lit up under spotlights as they give the rote, Siri-approved answers to various questions. Hey, Update My Voice starts off with a joke - Hey Siri, I want to have sex with you. The demands, insults, and sexual commentary continue, and when the responses are spoken out loud by real women, and not a machine, the insidious nature of those responses is revealed. “I wish I could be more helpful,” “I sometimes make mistakes, but I can learn from them,” and “I’d blush if I could.” 

The ad reminds us that while AI isn’t a person - it’s created by people (and mostly created by men) - and those people have biases that are being reflected to the customer base. When a woman’s voice responds to sexual harassment with “I’d blush if I could,” that says something about what coders consider appropriate.   

Hey, Update My Voice creates a powerful visual metaphor and reminds us again that the way we treat semi-automated women is the way that we would treat real women...if we could get away with it. With a powerful message and a call to action - DDB Brazil has created a holistic campaign intent on educating people and helping fix the problem.