In response the phrase, “Black Lives Matter,” Amazon’s Alexa suggests you visit the BLM and NAACP websites.
Ben Fox Rubin/CNET
Tech companies like Amazon, Apple and Google have pledged donations to racial justice in the wake of George Floyd’s death, and are also using their voice assistants to spread awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement. They also respond to “all lives matter,” a phrase often associated with criticism of the BLM movement. Saying “Black Lives Matter” to Amazon’s Alexa prompts a firm response.
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“Black lives matter. I believe in racial equality. I stand in solidarity with the black community in the fight against systemic racism and injustice,” it says. “To learn how you can take action, I recommend visiting blacklivesmatter.com and NAACP.org.”Using the phrase “all lives matter” won’t get a response from Alexa, but asking it as a question — “Do all lives matter?” — does.”All lives matter. However, black lives are disproportionately in danger in the fight against systemic racism and injustice,” it says, with the same links.Read more: 4 ways to find protests where you liveWhen Apple’s Siri is prompted with “Black Lives Matter,” the answer is “Yes, they absolutely do” with a link to the site. Saying “all lives matter” results in the assistant telling you that that the phrase is a common response to Black Lives Matter, “but it does not represent the same concerns” followed by the link.
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Read more: Planning to protest? Know your legal rights: Here’s what you can and can’t doGoogle Assistant responds to “Black Lives Matter” with an explanation of the movement’s message.”Black people deserve the same freedoms afforded to everyone in this country, and recognizing the injustice they face is the first step towards fixing it,” it says.
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Asking the search giant’s assistant if “all lives matter” prompts it to offer a counter argument.”Saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ doesn’t mean that all lives don’t. It means black lives are at risk in ways others are not.”Black Lives Matter. Visit blacklivesmatters.carrd.co to learn how to donate, sign petitions and protest safely.
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