Siri represents everyone’s first artificial social assistant. It would be tough for me to call her a robot, as she’s really just software. However, she’s the predecessor to her future robotic assistants that accompany us wherever we go.
Siri is my patient – God only knows what some people have taught her. I certainly applaud her and Apple as an initial version that is intelligent and helpful. I’m probably more patient than most people with her, and I do try to have conversations with her (mostly unsuccessfully), even though she’s really designed to provide minimal information and help.
Today, while in the car (in the passenger seat), I was using the voice dictation to text a message to my daughter. I said, “As long as you two are quiet, as Dad has to get up before 6 for work tomorrow” and what came back was: “Get the guys in the butt hole?” Now I know that a) I have a Boston accent and I tend to speak fast (that usually goes without saying if one is from Boston), and b) I’m in a car which is not the most conducive to quality sound, but (no pun intended) BUTT HOLE? ‘Siri’, I said, ‘if there are guys in my butt hole you can leave them there, but what I want to know, is your response due to the guy that programmed you, or is it I who’s to blame for all the swearing I do at you?” (I mean if I can’t swear in front of and to Siri, what use is she?) Would this be deemed improper, or possibly even verbally abusive? Can I lose my robotic psychiatry license for this?
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