Socio-Technical Trust For Multi-Modal Hearing Assistive Technology

The landscape of opportunity is rapidly changing for audio-visual (AV) hearing assistive technology. While hearing assistive devices, such as hearing aids, have traditionally been developed for populations of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) communities, the ubiquitous use of in-ear technology and recent advances in edge computing are reformulating what drives research and development in this domain. With that comes new challenges to consider from the perspective of multiple different stakeholders. In this position paper, we elaborate on seven key socio-technical challenges that may impede the adoption of trustworthy multi-modal hearing assistive technologies. We also draw upon a recent survey being piloted in the UK to examine perceptions of trust for audio systems in the context of human rights. We strongly encourage the research community to consider trust as a factor in developing new AV assistive hearing technologies, as trust may ultimately drive adoption of this technology within broader society.