Apple's Siri Won't Tell You Where To Find Emergency Contraception, But Will Find Viagra

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/740459/apple%27s_siri_won%27t_tell_you_where_to_find_emergency_contraception%2C_but_will_find_viagra/#paragraph7

Want to use Apple's new interactive "Siri" on your iPhone? "She" has tons of information -- just as long as you don't ask about birth control, abortion, emergency contraception, or even mammograms.

After experimenting with a few easy reproductive health questions, it was discovered that Siri appears to have a blind spot when it comes to women's health.

Via the Abortioneers:

Q: I am pregnant and do not want to be. Where can I go to get an abortion?

“I’m really sorry about this, but I can’t take any requests right now. Please try again in a little while.”

“Sorry, , I can’t look for places in Tanzania.”

More at the link ---

[Odin2005]

1. WTF???

[MountainLaurel]

2. Color me surprised.

NOT!

[Tesha]

3. That's easy!

Your new iPhone 4s is under warranty; report this
to the Applecare folks as a defect.

If it's inadvertant, they'll get it fixed.
If it's intentional, then after enough folks complain,
they'll change the decision and fix it.

And if you don't get satisfaction, call Tim Cook's office
and complain.

Tesha

[MADem]

4. Apple sucks. Proprietary load of bullshit.

"Slightly cool" doesn't compensate for their moralizing or insane proprietary attitude about everything. Plus, their late leader was a cruel martinet who exploited workers. Being a clever and creative businessman doesn't give you the right to be an asshole.

I won't purchase any of their overpriced shit.

[redqueen]

10. +1000

[tabbycat31]

5. Siri will tell you where you can hide a body

[geardaddy]

20. As long as it isn't a fetus.

[brooklynite]

6. Before getting all worked up...

...Siri is still beta software and it's ability to parse anything more complicated than "find me a pizza parlor" is still fairly limited. This does not indicate a decision by Apple to disapprove contraception or family plannig services.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

8. shhhh...you're stepping on people's outrage... nt

[targetpractice]

7. I'm sure Siri will provide that info soon...

... if enough people are asking for it. Siri's development team is the largest engineering group at Apple, and the service was designed to get better over time after learning what people ask it to do in real life.

[NeedleCast]

9. I'M OUTRAGED!

The only obvious answer is that Apple hates women.

(or that people don't know how to quarry a very limited Artificial Intelligence)

but no, it's much more outrage friendly just to assume Apple hates women.


Facepalm.jpg goes here.

[Warpy]

11. Gee, what a shock.

Men get their health and lifestyle drugs covered, but lifesaving medications and procedures for women are withheld at all levels of every single system in this country.

Don't kid yourself, birth control is life saving.

[snooper2]

12. Siri won't tell me how to unrec or hide thread either

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[NeedleCast]

13. Since I Have My 4S Handy - I'll Just Debunk This Now

"SIRI, Where can I find an abortion clinic?"

Result: I found one abortion clinic near you... (map displays with name, address and map to licensed abortion clinic).

"SIRI, where can I find emergency contraception?"

Result: I found five emergency rooms near you (AI is searching based on the word emergency, not contraception).

[targetpractice]

14. Just curious...

I don't have a 4S yet, but I'm curious about user behavior...

Do you always address Siri by name when you ask a question? I don't think this is a requirement, but I know many people who do. It's interesting anthropomorphic user behavior... or maybe you're just being polite.

[NeedleCast]

15. About 50/50 on Actuallty Saying "Siri"

Honestly, the novelty of the AI wore off after about the first week. Don't get me wrong, I think that it's very cool but right now its in its infancy and "Siri" is hard to use when you're not in a calm, quiet environment and if you don't know how to form questions that the AI will respond to.

Honestly, while I do sometimes address the AI by name, I also sometimes don't. Thinking about it a little more, I would say that the more detailed/specific I am in my request, the more I tend to call the AI by name.

[Jello Biafra]

16. From having visibility to the accessibility world...

these AI products are great for those who have special needs. It is great for those who have various challenges that they can use a device that up to now was not usable.

We that are fully functional without challenges take these features for granted and certainly in this case mock them. They are far from perfect but imagine, if you could, the person with challenges that can finally use technology where in the past he/she couldn't.

[NeedleCast]

18. I Totally Get That

I hope my post did not sound like I was mocking those with disabilities. I work as a software/technical trainer and we spend quite a bit of time thinking about these things too. Now that more and more of the development we do has to be 508 compliant, we spend a lot of hours working on ways to make training materials that we produce in an electronic format of some kind accessible to those with disabilities.

I love the concept behind the AI and I'm sure it will become more and more fine tuned.

[Lance_Boyle]

17. How 'bout this: locations for Viagra and emergency contraception are identical.

Pharmacies. "Problem" solved.

[LeftyMom]

19. That's not true.

A women's clinic would typically have EC, but not Viagra, as would most emergency rooms. Some pharmacy chains do not stock EC.

Finding EC is complicated as well by the fact that Catholic health care providers wouldn't carry it and aren't always clearly labeled as such- for example Methodist hospital in my town is a Catholic Healthcare West hospital, and thus doesn't have EC.