The idea that a (current-technology) AI could tell whether a character's race is ever specified is absurd. I guess it just looks for things like "blonde hair" or "blue eyes"?
Not sure why they didn't pay a human to read the books and check (not necessarily all the candidate books, just screening the shortlist compiled by the AI), or even ask around the office if anyone had read the book and whether they agreed with the AI's judgement? Or just posting on an appropriate Reddit or similar - lots of people would gladly chime in to show off their literary knowledge for free.
The Secret Garden is a particularly ridiculous example:
“When I heard you was comin’ from India I thought you was a black too.”
Mary sat up in bed furious.
“What!” she said. “What! You thought I was a native. You-you daughter of a pig!”
Martha stared and looked hot.
“Who are you callin’ names?” she said. “You needn’t be so vexed. That’s not th’ way for a young lady to talk. I’ve nothin’ against th’ blacks. When you read about ‘em in tracts they’re always very religious. You always read as a black’s a man an’ a brother. I’ve never seen a black an’ I was fair pleased to think I was goin’ to see one close. When I come in to light your fire this mornin’ I crep’ up to your bed an’ pulled th’ cover back careful to look at you. An’ there you was,” disappointedly, “no more black than me-for all you’re so yeller.”
Mary did not even try to control her rage and humiliation. “You thought I was a native! You dared! You don’t know anything about natives! They are not people-they’re servants who must salaam to you. You know nothing about India. You know nothing about anything!”
And as well as that scene where Mary is explicitly described as not-black and as thinking black people aren't people, her colouring is quite a big theme of the whole book. When she first arrives she's often described as "sallow" and "yellow" because she's sickly and has spent most of her life indoors, but as the book progresses and she starts to spend time running around on the moors getting fresh air and exercise, she gets rosy cheeks and loses her sallowness.
Not sure why they didn't pay a human to read the books and check (not necessarily all the candidate books, just screening the shortlist compiled by the AI), or even ask around the office if anyone had read the book and whether they agreed with the AI's judgement? Or just posting on an appropriate Reddit or similar - lots of people would gladly chime in to show off their literary knowledge for free.
The Secret Garden is a particularly ridiculous example:
“When I heard you was comin’ from India I thought you was a black too.”
Mary sat up in bed furious.
“What!” she said. “What! You thought I was a native. You-you daughter of a pig!”
Martha stared and looked hot.
“Who are you callin’ names?” she said. “You needn’t be so vexed. That’s not th’ way for a young lady to talk. I’ve nothin’ against th’ blacks. When you read about ‘em in tracts they’re always very religious. You always read as a black’s a man an’ a brother. I’ve never seen a black an’ I was fair pleased to think I was goin’ to see one close. When I come in to light your fire this mornin’ I crep’ up to your bed an’ pulled th’ cover back careful to look at you. An’ there you was,” disappointedly, “no more black than me-for all you’re so yeller.”
Mary did not even try to control her rage and humiliation. “You thought I was a native! You dared! You don’t know anything about natives! They are not people-they’re servants who must salaam to you. You know nothing about India. You know nothing about anything!”
And as well as that scene where Mary is explicitly described as not-black and as thinking black people aren't people, her colouring is quite a big theme of the whole book. When she first arrives she's often described as "sallow" and "yellow" because she's sickly and has spent most of her life indoors, but as the book progresses and she starts to spend time running around on the moors getting fresh air and exercise, she gets rosy cheeks and loses her sallowness.
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