Is The iPhone’s Siri Misleading Women Who Need Emergency Health Services?

[chaya]

“What may I help you with?” So begins Siri - the unique voice-activated assistant of the iPhone 4s that promises to deliver accurate and tailored answers for your every need. Unless you’re a woman in search of health services like birth control, emergency contraception, abortion, or even mammogram tests. Then the interactive search wizard draws a

Comments

[benjersthefish]

Seriously?

Siri is still in beta.

[xballroomblitz]

this,

and I find/found it difficult to locate an "actual" abortion clinic verses a "crisis pregnancy centre" by just googling it. How can you expect a program to find something like that?

[benjersthefish]

Exactly. This article is reaching.

[maynardsong]

But...but...but...quit getting in the way of my outrage!

[roseofjuly]

I do think that it's reaching a little, but responding "Is that so?" to the emergency contraception one and "Really!" to the rape one...? I've never seen Siri respond that way to anything else, although admittedly I've only played with it for a few days and I don't have my own 4s yet.

[chaya]

Which is why I want independent verification on whether it's just spazzy or if it's specifically providing 'crisis centers' and never legit clinics.

[benjersthefish]

I would be inclined to believe the former. Siri can't even do location based reminders or search for businesses outside the US yet. It's still very much in it's infancy. Once it gets fleshed out a bit I think you could do a fair test but that's will take a while. In the meantime, there's google.

[chaya]

I am inclined to believe nothing yet and instead to seek out independent verification.

[fenris_lorsrai]

webbgirl tried asking hers down below and it returned nothing for questions about abortion or family planning. But it did return results for Planned Parenthood when asked for specifically, and requests for condoms

[creativepseudo]

This. Siri fucks up all the time.

[tmlforsyth]

I'd agree. I asked about synagogues and the results included a Hindu Temple, so Siri needs a lot more work.

[rissa_rose]

Just came here to say this.

[jettakd]

The fact that this website exists: http://whysiriwhy.com/

Should show that fact.

[yooperchild]

I got an iPhone for Christmas (way early because my plan was up). Since I wasn't upgrading, the present buyer asked me if I wanted the iPhone 4 or wait for the 4s.

Not going to lie...I chose the 4s just for Siri

[roseofjuly]

I didn't at first because I thought it was just fancy voice control, but now I do and wouldn't you know I have an upgrade coming to me in 2 weeks. (I had one sooner, but I gave it to my SO so I could buy HIM an iPhone 4 for Christmas. It was an early present - he had the 3GS and it was crapping out on him.)