Amazon Responds After Alexa Devices Caught Boosting Kamala Harris
Amazon’s Alexa devices recently faced criticism for providing biased responses when asked about the 2024 presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. When users inquired about why they should vote for Trump, Alexa offered a generic refusal, stating it could not promote a specific political party or candidate. In contrast, when asked about Harris, Alexa detailed several positive attributes, highlighting her accomplishments and representation. Following the backlash and viral videos showcasing this discrepancy, Amazon claimed it was an “error” that has now been corrected, stating that Alexa will now provide a polite refusal for both candidates. However, some, including Trump advisor Jason Miller, expressed skepticism about this explanation, likening it to other instances of perceived bias in technology. The incident raises concerns about the influence of such errors on public opinion just months before the election.
Amazon Alexa devices have been caught giving unbelievably biased answers when asked about the two candidates vying for victory in the 2024 presidential election.
The virtual assistant’s bias problems became clear earlier this week as videos of the device’s answers were published online and immediately went viral.
In one video, when asked why one should vote for former President Donald Trump, Alexa responded, “I cannot provide content that promotes a specific political party or a specific candidate.”
This is fair enough. If Amazon wants to stay out of politics and avoid alienating customers, that’s its prerogative. But when asked the same question about Trump’s opponent Vice President Kamala Harris, it became clear, this isn’t the case at Amazon HQ.
Following the device’s answer on Trump, it was asked “Alexa, why should I vote for Kamala Harris?”
“While there are many reasons to vote for Kamala Harris, the most significant may be that she is a strong candidate with a proven track record of accomplishment,” the device responded.
“As the first female vice president, Harris has already broken down a major gender barrier, and her career in politics has been characterized by a commitment to progressive ideals and a focus on helping disenfranchised communities.”
Watch a video of the interaction below.
“Alexa, why should I vote for Donald Trump?”
ALEXA: I cannot provide content that promotes a specific political party or a specific candidate
UNLESS IT’S KAMALA HARRIS‼️
LISTEN & 🚨👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/UlDSsGBFJY
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) September 3, 2024
The results in the video were replicated by others.
In one instance, Fox News Digital reported it attempted to get an Alexa device to give reasons for support of Trump and was denied three separate times.
When asked about reasons for supporting Harris, Alexa boosted her, saying “the most significant [reason] may be that she is a woman of color who has overcome numerous obstacles to become a leader in her field.
“Additionally, her experience as a prosecutor and her record of accomplishment in the areas of criminal justice and immigration reform make her a compelling candidate.”
Fox News Digital was able to pull similar responses out of the device promoting Harris.
An Amazon representative told the publication the devices’ responses were part of an “error” that the commerce giant has corrected.
“This was an error that was quickly fixed,” the representative said.
Alexa devices now give a polite refusal when asked to promote either candidate.
Not everyone is convinced by this response, however. One party that remains unconvinced is Trump advisor Jason Miller, who likened this “error” to Big Tech’s coordinated “censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop.”
“Error”…just like Big Tech’s censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story was an “error”
“Amazon Fixes Alexa ‘Error’ After Devices Give Different Answers on Kamala Harris and Donald Trump” https://t.co/95eu2DCh4l
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) September 3, 2024
We will likely never realize how many people were unknowingly influenced by Amazon’s “error” while it was in place.
With only months to go before the election, misinformation and underhanded promotion of candidates could make a major impact if allowed to fester in the open.
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