Over the last few weeks, a change occurred with the Alexa system we have. I have always said thank you after asking Alexa for the weather, time, or a song. My husband would laugh at me for speaking to an inanimate object. It was just a habit for me to express gratitude for assistance, so I didn’t think about it.
But, recently, when I say thank you for the weather, Alexa says, “You’re welcome. Stay warm out there!” Today, she responded to my queries by stating, “You’re welcome, Regina. Have a great Saturday!” I was stunned that, whatever Alexa is, there is an appearance of humanity that disturbs me. Some humans don’t respond when you greet them or do something for them. It is as if they have a sense of entitlement.
What does it mean when machines start to be human-like? Should I be disoriented because someone programmed civility into the computer machines in my home? Is this the future, as AI promises to create humanoids that can do what humans can’t do, faster and cheaper?
It’s a small thing, but one that really stopped me in my tracks. It was so unexpected and never considered a possibility. I never expected that Alexa would actually speak back, much less call me by name. That is so weird to me and somewhat frightening.
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