Abstract

A common argument in favour of Emotion Detection Technology (EDT) is that it can help autistic people learn emotion recognition. In this paper, I challenge this assumption and draw from it as case example to argue that EDT contains implicit ideology such as the neurotypicality ideal. First, I will sketch out a common application scenario of EDT in autism therapy and contextualise the aim of the whole practice with the neurotypicality ideal. Secondly, I will highlight major historical milestones in the development of EDT to illustrate that the neurotypicality ideal is not only identifiable as working mechanism in the framed context of autism therapy but inherently engrained in EDT itself regardless of where it comes to use. Third, I will link the heritage of the neurotypicality ideal in EDT to physiognomic beliefs about the "normal" or "ideal" body to clarify that the underlying issue is not a specific technology design decision, e.g. automated facial analysis (AFA) approaches, but rather that the human motivations for developing these technologies are already compromised by unrecognised persisting ideals such as neurotypicality.

DOI: doi.org/10.63721/25JPAIR0115

To Read or Download the Article  PDF