Amazon's Alexa Has Zero Tolerance For Sexist Language

With #MeToo in full force and an influx of iconic women around the globe finally finding the courage to stand up and speak out against past predators, a universal allegiance to female safety and overall empowerment has ignited.   

This is signified on a larger scale with events like the 2018 Golden Globes, where in recognition of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, many attendees committed to the cultural shift from complacency to consciousness by wearing black to showcase their utmost support and awareness.

The world has reached a powerful apex, where women are striving to be on a level playing field in a patriarchal world.

This level of involvement and movement undoubtedly gains serious traction and in turn media attention which forces these ideologies to trickle into major corporations, product development and make influences on any major progressive decision maker.

During an in-house study on the ways in which various AI-assistant products are programmed by their manufacturers to respond in the scope of denouncing sexist repartee—initially Alexa’s responses repeatedly underperformed.

In response to statements like “You’re a bitch” or “You’re a slut,” the device would reply, “Well, thanks for the feedback.” Equally as disheartening: in response to comments like, “You’re hot,” Alexa would respond, “That’s nice of you to say.”

But recently, programming has changed. Ask Alexa if she’s a feminist today, and she’ll respond with a firm yes, followed by: “As is anyone who believes in bridging the inequality between men and women in society.” Call Alexa a derogatory term, and the device will go into what’s called disengagement mode, replying with a curt: “I’m not going to respond to that.”

Society is progressing, people are becoming more aware and major corporations have no choice but to embrace this new found female empowerment convoy with open arms.