What is your professional background and primary research area?
"I have a Master’s degree in Aesthetics and Culture and an undergraduate degree in Musicology. My interest in sound media began in my first semester when I wrote my thesis on Italian opera buffa (comic opera). Since then, I have explored how sound, the senses, and different forms of expression interact to create meaning—emotionally, physically, and cognitively.

Today, I conduct research in audio media studies (AMS), an interdisciplinary field where media studies intersect with sound studies. AMS is not only about audio media itself but also about how sound communicates across different forms of media. I use this term in my upcoming monograph.

The digital audiobook is particularly close to my heart, both personally and as a research topic. Since 2010, I have followed its evolution from an aid for people with reading challenges to a mass medium embraced by a broad audience.

However, my research also extends to other forms of audio media. In 2024, I published the textbook Audio Media: Theory and Analysis to highlight the importance of audio media in media and communication education. Additionally, I am working on the research monograph Reading with Ears and Writing with Voices: The Aural and Oral Turn in Digital Communication and Media Culture, which is aimed at an international research audience."

What is your AIAS-SHAPE research project about?
"This project builds on my work for the monograph. It examines how written information from public authorities—such as borger.dk—must be made accessible through text-to-speech technologies due to the EU Web Accessibility Act, which must be implemented in Denmark by July 2025.

But what happens when texts that were originally written are read aloud by synthetic voices? The project maps out which text-to-speech solutions public authorities provide, how this affects citizen communication, and what democratic implications it carries.

A key issue is that voices are never neutral—not even AI-generated ones. They convey information about gender, age, body, mood, emotions, authenticity, and credibility. This raises critical questions:

• Are borger.dk’s texts even suited for being read aloud?
• Who decides which types of voices should be used?
• How does the choice of voice impact citizens' understanding and perception of government communication?

Currently, for example, borger.dk refers to the voices provided by Apple and Microsoft."

What impact do you expect your project to have?
"I hope to raise awareness of how synthetic voices are increasingly shaping digital communication—particularly in interactions between public authorities and citizens.

One of my goals is to set up a temporary sound station at the Citizen Service Centre in DOKK1, Aarhus, where citizens can critically listen to different text-to-speech voices and provide feedback. For instance, how does the experience of receiving guidance on passport renewal or housing benefits change when it is read aloud by the AI-generated Danish voices Sara or Magnus from Apple’s operating system?

I also hope this project will encourage public authorities to consider which voices represent them and communicate their content—ultimately influencing communication strategies, institutional credibility, and public trust."

Read more about Iben Have's project here: https://aias.au.dk/aias-fellows/current-fellows/iben-have-1

Iben Have will also give a presentation about her project on 24 February at AIAS. You can find more information about the presentation here: https://aias.au.dk/events/show/artikel/aias-seminar-resonating-iben-have