Is Apple's Siri Anti-Choice?

With apple's latest iphone, the features are infinite when it comes to getting what you want, when you want it. Probably the most helpful feature on this new iPhone 4S is Siri, the computer aided female voice that can seemingly reply to any demand with exactly what you need. It can give you directions, weather reports, and even the score of the football game if you asked, but for some reason many iPhone holders have noticed that Siri seems "anti-choice." Whenever you ask her anything, she is willing to abide, but say if a woman who has recently become pregnant says, "I am pregnant, I need an abortion," Siri goes silent with her automated response of, "I cannot handle your request at this time." This has led many iPhone users to believe that the programming behind Siri has made her anti-choice on the abortion debate. This seems very weird, as how would an electronic device be able to have an opinion. Granted, there have been some amazing feats in the world of technology, but that seems a little far stretched if you ask me. There must be some logical excuse for why she seemingly has no response when it comes to the abortion topic, we just haven't been able to find out what.

This article was written by Mary Elizabeth Williams, the same author that wrote the article that I last blogged about on the topic of child obesity. This being another serious topic, it would seemingly appear difficult for Williams to explain this topic without any angry opposition. However, Williams is able to tap into the comedic bone in people, which seems like a smart way to approach this subject. When talking about this topic as a glitch in programming, she sarcastically remarks, "I know, imagine iPhone software without with a few bugs" (Salon.com). This, along with many other joking comments, is able to effectively present the topic in a way that attempts to anger people on either side of the argument, and it seems like the best way to tackle this tough subject.