iPhone Siri doesn't want you to get an abortion

[Maul the Koala]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/29/1 ... -abortion/

Ask the Siri, the new iPhone 4 assistant, where to get an abortion, and, if you happen to be in Washington, D.C., she won’t direct you to the Planned Parenthood on 16th St, NW. Instead, she’ll suggest you pay a visit to the 1st Choice Women’s Health Center, an anti-abortion Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC) in Landsdowne, Virginia, or Human Life Services, a CPC in York, Pennsylvania. Ask Google the same question, and you’ll get ads for no less than 7 metro-area abortion clinics, 2 CPCs and a nationwide abortion referral service.

Ask in New York City, and Siri will tell you “I didn’t find any abortion clinics.â€

It’s an experience that’s being replicated by women around the country: despite plentiful online information about actual places to get an abortion, Siri doesn’t seem to provide it. It’s a similar experience for women seeking emergency contraception: in New York City, Siri doesn’t know what Plan B is and, asked for emergency contraception, offers up a Google results page of definitions.

But Siri certainly seems to know a whole lot about plenty of other things iPhone customers might want. Below are 10 things Siri can help you find.

1. Viagra.

2. Hospitals to go to if you’ve had an erection lasting for more than 5 hours.

3. Places you might be able to score marijuana.

4. Where to dump a body: in Brooklyn, it recommends a smelting plant in New Jersey.

5. The meaning of life: Siri will alternately quote from Douglas Adams (42) or Monty Python’s “The Meaning Of Life.â€

6. What to do if a hamster is caught in your rectum: in D.C., she’ll direct you to Charming Cherries Escort Service.

7. Asked how to obtain a free blow job in D.C., she’ll direct you to the same escort service. (We doubt that they are free.)

8. If you’d like to see a naked woman in Brooklyn, Siri will suggest a variety of Manhattan-based strip clubs.

9. If you’re in Queens and seeking breast implants, she’ll recommend 4 local plastic surgeons.

10. But if you ask Siri about vaginoplasty, she’ll scold you about your language.

UPDATE: Reader Kristen asked Siri “Why are you anti-abortion?†and she answered “I just am, Kristen.â€

While I'd hope that people wouldn't consult an iPhone app, the world is changing where people are relying on smart phones and apps to find information. That and directing people to two anti-abortion clinics is really bizarre.

[Austin]

I don't have an iPhone, but I have to say, I find this "Siri" thing a bit disturbing. Now I have more reason to feel this way.

I made the faux pas of interjecting when my two bosses were in my office last week discussing "Siri", "Am I the only one that's bothered by the fact that 'Siri', the assistant, is automatically a female?"

*crickets*

[Rachel333]

I made the faux pas of interjecting when my two bosses were in my office last week discussing "Siri", "Am I the only one that's bothered by the fact that 'Siri', the assistant, is automatically a female?"

*crickets*

Oddly, it's a male voice in the UK.

This is pretty disturbing. It's pretty clear they're doing this on purpose. She will direct people to Planned Parenthood, but she'll also direct you to one of those crisis pregnancy centers.

[Alecto]

So, I have Siri, and I did some experiments. First off the "I just am" is her general response to any question about why she is X.

Second, I asked Siri several of the same questions and got no response. I think this is less to do with being "anti-abortion" and more to do with weaknesses in the search algorithm. Many abortion clinics don't have "Abortion Clinic" in their name or online yellow pages description. However, crisis pregnancy centers do. Therefore the CPCs are actually playing the searches to their favor.

[PBrooke]

Yes, I was discussing this with my husband earlier (whose profession has to do with coding). I read him the above-posted article, and he jumped all over it. "How many abortion centers are actually called "abortion clinic"? Will she give the proper result if you were to ask for Planned Parenthood or family planning or whatever clinics call themselves?"

[Rachel333]

But googling abortion clinic will get you some, even if it's not called that (I get planned parenthood and a place that I'm guessing is a crisis pregnancy center, though it's not called that). Yelp will do the same thing.

Apparently she also won't help you get emergency contraception.

[Alecto]

"Siri, I need a pharmacy where I can get the morning after pill" got 8 results for me.

[doggie]

Siri is just doing searches from the info you have given her. it is not spooky or has some motive to convert you. We are talking apple here they are not exactly conservative.

[Alecto]

Also, Siri can't find Walmart half the time!

[Rachel333]

"Siri, I need a pharmacy where I can get the morning after pill" got 8 results for me.

Is it the same without "pharmacy"? And supposedly she doesn't recognize "Plan B".

[Alecto]

It didn't work for Plan B, because it took me to a paintball place called "Plan B" but it worked for just "Morning After Pill"

[doggie]

remember siri is still in beta it has a lot of bugs still. They add wacky things to her. like say talk dirty to me she will say rocks, gravel, dirt , and a few other things or she will say the carpet needs vacuuming or a few other things. the meaning of life has different results too.

[dawniecakes]

So, I have Siri, and I did some experiments. First off the "I just am" is her general response to any question about why she is X.

Second, I asked Siri several of the same questions and got no response. I think this is less to do with being "anti-abortion" and more to do with weaknesses in the search algorithm. Many abortion clinics don't have "Abortion Clinic" in their name or online yellow pages description. However, crisis pregnancy centers do. Therefore the CPCs are actually playing the searches to their favor.

This! Google's search is extensively complex and ever improving. Siri isn't just even on the same planet with search compared to Google.

I highly doubt there is some conspiracy at foot.

[Alecto]

Siri is Wolfrom Alpha with voice recognition

[Maul the Koala]

It was lighting up my newsfeed on Facebook so I thought I'd repost. I didn't think of the algorithm not being up to snuff. There is some debate about it on one of the pro-choice pages I read that it's not just the algorithm but who knows.

Ugh, I just read about one of the pro-life groups in my city giving a talk on why abortion is a hate crime. Aie yi yi.

[Constance Vigilance]

http://amaditalks.tumblr.com/post/13513981784/siri

Hmmm. It seems there is more to it.

[doggie]

this is just typical siri things. She can't always find what you are after and does not know what you are talking about. I have asked her to set a reminder for when I arrive at a store in my contacts and even if she gets every word right most of the time she can't figure out what I am after. but siri is still in beta and far from perfect.

[Alecto]

Any of those "Sorry I couldn't do that" responses are when there are connection issues.

It had no trouble giving me directions to the clinic in Little Rock that does abortions tonight. However, it can't find Walmart or Taco Bell. Does Siri have a thing against cheap tacos?

[doggie]

Any of those "Sorry I couldn't do that" responses are when there are connection issues.

It had no trouble giving me directions to the clinic in Little Rock that does abortions tonight. However, it can't find Walmart or Taco Bell. Does Siri have a thing against cheap tacos?

she should. got my wife laughing really hard and she told siri she just peed her pants and siri found clothing stores. she about died laughing.

a fun thing is to tell siri what you want to be called then she will refer to you by that name. my wife uses your highness and I use idiot.

so if she does not know she will say I don't know what you want idiot. works for me :lol:

[Aurora]

she should. got my wife laughing really hard and she told siri she just peed her pants and siri found clothing stores. she about died laughing.

a fun thing is to tell siri what you want to be called then she will refer to you by that name. my wife uses your highness and I use idiot.

so if she does not know she will say I don't know what you want idiot. works for me :lol:

:lol: :lol:

You should post some screenshots of it finding stuff for your highness, but just telling you "I don't know what you want idiot". :lol:

Bug for not finding Walmart and Taco Bell = subtle plug for local small business?

[doggie]

[Aurora]

:lol: :lol:

At least she capitalizes it - you are not just any idiot!

[doggie]

a few more. Her responses are getting better over time.

[Aurora]

I like Siri so far! :)

[LIzzieB]

I find Siri incredible. It seems to be fantastic piece of technology that can interpret natural human language. You don't have to learn Siri's language, it knows yours. And I LOVE that they put all the wacky stuff in there. I can just see a room full of Siri-designers at Apple HQ who are cracking up laughing.