Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, has raised concerns over Amazon's virtual assistant technology, Alexa, being politically biased in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Trump. The issue came to light when videos of interactions with Alexa went viral, showing differing responses when asked about the two political figures.
In response to queries about voting for Harris, Alexa highlighted her background as a woman of color who has excelled in her field, citing her experience as a prosecutor and accomplishments in criminal justice and immigration reform. However, when asked about voting for Trump, Alexa stated it could not provide information on U.S. government policies.
Amazon later acknowledged the disparity in responses and attributed it to an 'error' that was promptly corrected. Senator Graham, as the ranking member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, expressed his concerns in a letter to Amazon's CEO, Andrew Jassy, warning that such bias could be seen as interference in the election process.
Graham emphasized the need for transparency and corrective actions from Amazon, citing a perceived bias in favor of liberal causes among conservatives. The incident has sparked discussions on social media, with many questioning the neutrality of technology platforms in political matters.
The controversy surrounding Alexa's responses serves as a reminder of the challenges in ensuring unbiased information dissemination in the digital age. As technology continues to play a significant role in shaping public discourse, the incident underscores the importance of accountability and fairness in the development and deployment of AI-powered systems.
