  Language technologies have a racial bias, committing greater errors for Black
users than for white users. However, little work has evaluated what effect
these disparate error rates have on users themselves. The present study aims to
understand if speech recognition errors in human-computer interactions may
mirror the same effects as misunderstandings in interpersonal cross-race
communication. In a controlled experiment (N=108), we randomly assigned Black
and white participants to interact with a voice assistant pre-programmed to
exhibit a high versus low error rate. Results revealed that Black participants
in the high error rate condition, compared to Black participants in the low
error rate condition, exhibited significantly higher levels of
self-consciousness, lower levels of self-esteem and positive affect, and less
favorable ratings of the technology. White participants did not exhibit this
disparate pattern. We discuss design implications and the diverse research
directions to which this initial study aims to contribute.
