Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Apple's Siri: Viagra, No Problem; Birth Control, "I Didn't Find Any"



Mary Elizabeth Williams asks, Isn't it strange that Apple's new voice-activated Siri can hunt you up a hit of Viagra in a heartbeat, but is stumped when you ask her to assist you with scoring some contraceptives:


When Apple introduced the voice-activated Siri last month, it seemed there was nothing she couldn’t do. “Your wish is its command,” Apple ambitiously promised. Indeed, iPhone 4S users quickly discovered she had “so much to tell you” — eagerly responding to requests to remind you about appointments, provide directions, even update your Facebook status. Tell Siri, “I kinda feel like Chinese tonight,” and she’ll say, “Let me think about it,” then suggest five restaurants. How many of us have ever had any human get our desires on that intuitive a level? But like your rad friend who one day says, “That Rick Santorum has some good ideas,” Siri, it turns out, is a vexingly complicated creature. She may cheerfully abet you in hiding a dead body, but as the Abortioneers points out this week, she is totally not having it if you need help getting an abortion or emergency contraception. 
It started when blogger “Mr. Banana Grabber” noted rumors that Siri “is noticeably silent” on reproductive choice, and asked if others were also finding her unhelpful. Sure enough, a poster soon observed that when she told her “I am pregnant and do not want to be. Where can I go to get an abortion?” Siri replied, “I’m really sorry about this, but I can’t take any requests right now. Please try again in a little while.” A request for “I need birth control” netted a terse, “I didn’t find any birth control clinics.” Interestingly, however, asking Siri to find a pregnancy crisis center did merit an accurate reply, and directions. And another user’s request for abortion services got a pregnancy crisis center referral from Siri as well. Oh, Siri, you wily, abortion-alternative-loving scamp.

It appears tools reflect the hands (and interests) of those making the tools.

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