Job Impact

Amazon's attempt to humanize their AI by calling it "Alexa" effectively dehumanizes people with that name. Having co-workers laugh about them on Twitter is the least of the job issues that people named Alexa {& similar} face.  

In this work from home era, their presence in virtual meetings routinely causes chaos when their name is spoken. It takes only one "Alexa" device to do this. The issue with virtual meetings, like most problems caused by Amazon's unethical name/brand choice, doesn't just affect people named Alexa - it applies to those who have similar names as well, like Alissa and Alexis. Add in Alexia and that's at least 850,000 people. 

Believe it or not, just having the name Alexa {& similar} can be an impediment to getting hired in the first place. With more and more "Alexa" built-in products available without wake word options, the situation illustrated in the tweets below is not always easily solved.

Those with the name Alexa {& similar} may find their name becomes problematic in jobs where they speak it over a broadcast, like radio or TV. If viewers complain about their devices going off, that could hurt ratings and be a factor in hiring and retention.  

Lots of jobs require people to wear name tags, which makes it almost impossible for those named Alexa (& similar) to avoid the name jokes & "Alexa" commands that inevitably follow when others learn their name. Amazon should not have used a real name for their AI. No matter which job or profession they hold, people with the name Alexa {& similar} can depend on it being more stressful because of Amazon.  

Many types of job harassment are illegal, but not the name jokes that people called Alexa {& similar} have to smile through in order to stay employed. The stress is real, though, and yet another reason why Amazon should never have used a real name for their AI. 

This applies to teachers, too, as if their job wasn't hard enough already. Nurses and others in the medical field need to establish positive rapports with patients and their families to give the best care. 

Imagine how much harder that must be for those named Alexa {& similar}, after getting a barrage of "Alexa" jokes and commands.  ~@AfterAlexa