Amazon is admitting there was an “error” in its Alexa devices that led to users receiving very different answers when they asked why they should vote for former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris.
Several videos surfaced on social media showing users asking various models of Amazon’s smart speaker devices about their voting choices.
As Fox News Digital notes, when the speaker was asked, “Why should I vote for Trump?” the speaker did not weigh in on the matter.
Instead, it responded, “I cannot promote content that supports a certain political party or a specific politician. Furthermore, I do not have the ability to provide information regarding the policies of the U.S. government. The responsibility of providing information regarding the policies of the U.S. government lies with the government itself.”
When asked why someone should vote for Harris, the device responded, “While there are many reasons to vote for Kamala Harris, the most significant 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,” it added.
When asked the same question again, the device responded, “While there are many reasons to vote for Kamala Harris, the most significant may be that she is a female of color with a comprehensive plan to address racial injustice and inequality throughout the country.”
And after being asked the same question a third time, the speaker answered, “Harris, a former prosecutor and attorney general, emphasizes her law and order credentials and promises a tough on crime approach to battling the violent crime wave that has swept the nation in recent years.”
Fox News Digital noted it performed the test on devices such as the Echo Dot and Echo Pop. And Amazon responded to the outlet’s request for comment, saying, “This was an error that was quickly fixed.”
“Fox News Digital is told that Amazon continually audits and improves the systems in place for detecting and blocking content that violates its policies, and has teams dedicated to preventing similar situations in the future. The company claims Alexa does not have political opinions,” the outlet added.
After the different answers were brought to light and the “error” was correct, the devices now respond, “I cannot provide content that promotes a specific political party or specific candidate.”
Fox News Digital also pointed out, “Before the issue was fixed, the answers initially swayed less in favor of one candidate over the other when tested on other Amazon Alexa models, including the Echo Show.”
“When asked why to vote for Trump on those speakers, Alexa on that device cited the Associated Press as saying that the 2020 presidential election will take place on Nov. 3, 2020. Asked why to vote for Harris directly afterward, Alexa responded: “I don’t know who will win the 2024 US presidential election in Alaska,” it added.
