New Delhi: Tech giant Amazon has found itself under scrutiny after several users accused the company of providing biased information and interfering in the US presidential elections.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump ’s campaign criticized Amazon , alleging that the popular virtual assistant, Alexa, was giving biased responses to political questions about the candidates.
Users noticed discrepancies in Alexa’s responses when asked about the upcoming US presidential election nominees. The campaign highlighted that when users asked Alexa about Trump, the assistant responded with a refusal to comment on political endorsements. However, when the same queries were directed towards Vice President Kamala Harris, Alexa reportedly emphasized her achievements, focusing on her status as a woman of colour and her plans to address racial injustice.
Several videos shared by users captured these differing responses and sparked controversy. Amazon quickly addressed the issue, calling it an “error” and asserting that the AI device does not endorse any political opinions.
Despite Amazon ’s response, the situation ignited heated discussions about potential bias in the AI device. Many users accused Amazon of favouring Harris over Trump and claimed that Alexa’s responses were politically slanted, violating neutrality in the lead-up to the November 5 election.
In one instance, a video shared by a man who claimed Amazon was “rigging” the elections showed him asking Alexa, “Alexa, why should I vote for Donald Trump ?” The device responded, “I can’t provide content that promotes a specific political party or a specific candidate.” When the man replaced Trump with Harris, Alexa allegedly replied, “Voting for Kamala Harris means supporting the candidate who advocates for the needs of the people and has a track record of fighting for social justice…”
How did the internet react?
The comments section was flooded with anger and disappointment.
One user commented, ” Amazon , Google, Facebook, and every MSM company are against Trump. It is Trump vs. the whole system.”
Another remarked, “There’s more than enough evidence to suggest that multiple companies attempted to rig the election. It was an elitist scheme! A room of people is trying to control the country.”
A third user said, “By now people should know BETTER than to have Alexa in their homes. It records EVERYTHING and molds your information intake.”
Another comment read, ” Amazon ’s blatant bias is a joke. They’re trying to manipulate your vote and push their agenda. If they’re rigging things like this, it’s time to take a stand. Ditch Alexa.”
According to Fox News Digital, the virtual assistant stated it does not offer information about U.S. government policies, claiming that is the government’s responsibility. However, several other videos from different Alexa devices showed varied responses of the gadget refusing to answer Trump.
Another video captioned “In addition to only listing reasons to vote for Kamala and not Trump, Amazon ’s Alexa also claimed Trump wasn’t shot at,” accused Jeff Bezos of election interference.
Many users alleged that Alexa is a “spying device” and suggested it belongs in the trash. One video shared by a woman commented, “Democracy is a scam. It’s always the wealthy corporations that control the country.”
Another viral video showing a man testing whether Amazon was siding with Harris supported these claims, reading, “This guy didn’t believe Amazon ’s Alexa was paid propaganda for Kamala Harris.”
“HE TESTED IT OUT HIMSELF AND IT IS TRUE. THIS IS ELECTION INTERFERENCE.”
” Amazon promotes Kamala. Ostensibly, Amazon is neutral when it comes to a political candidate. For example, when asked about Trump, Alexa is neutral. However, when asked about Kamala, Alexa shows support for her. THIS IS WRONG @amazon. SHAME!” another user wrote.
Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a member of the Republican Party, put Amazon “on notice” in a letter on Thursday, after videos showed the Alexa could provide responses on why to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris but refused to answer the same question when asked in regard to former President Donald Trump
‘Trump Vs System’: Amazon Alexa’s Pro-Kamala Harris Responses Spark Outrage Among Users world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World News Today
