Siri, your iPhone’s personal assistant, will now correct you if you ask questions about Caitlyn Jenner while using her former name.
Since Caitlyn Jenner revealed her transition and her new name to the world just a short time ago, some folks have had trouble coming to terms with her and her new name. However, for those who have Apple products, Siri has started correcting those who still refer to her by her former name.
https://twitter.com/feministculture/status/621483831846047744
While calling Caitlyn Jenner “Bruce” in your query will elicit some correct results, Wired reports that the change isn’t as sweeping as you might expect and will still return “Bruce” answers for some questions, depending on the sources she uses. However, for the most part, these answers indicate the changing tides of our social consciousness and highlight the struggle transgender people face when they’re brave enough to reveal their true selves to the world.
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While I do feel that calling Jenner “she” is the morally right thing to do, it’s not an opinion that is shared by everyone. However, I (and many others) are personally celebrating the fact that this faceless voice, brought to us by technology advancements, is working to change how Jenner is referred to by those who refuse to acknowledge the change.
Our lives now revolve around technology more than ever, with instant and easy access to news and commentary, which (for many of us) can be found right in our purses or pockets. And social consciousness is also changing, with more people being open to differences as people show the world who they truly are. And Siri, and potentially other tech, is getting in on the act, which is something that I wouldn’t have ever dreamed just a few short years ago.
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Like it or not, our favorite gadgets are now trying to get a foothold into how we think about important social issues, and this is not likely to change soon. Those responsible for programming the Siri software are obviously working on an agenda, which in my opinion is an honorable one. Inclusion, love and understanding of our fellow human beings should never be considered a bad thing and is always the right answer now what who or what the source.
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