Back to Articles
Should We Be Polite to Voice Assistants and AIs?

The Guardian

SKIPPED

Details

Date Published
5 Apr 2026
Priority Score
1
Australian
No
Created
5 Apr 2026, 04:00 pm

Authors (1)

Description

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Summary

This article explores the psychological and ethical nuances of human-AI social interaction, specifically questioning whether polite behavior toward voice assistants impacts human character or machine optimization. It focuses on the behavioral norms established when interacting with consumer-grade AI systems rather than addressing catastrophic risks or frontier safety. While the topic touches on human-centric AI ethics, it lacks technical analysis of safety frameworks or significant policy contributions to global AI governance.

Body

Mind your Ps and Qs … an Amazon Echo Dot. Photograph: Nathaniel Noir/AlamyView image in fullscreenMind your Ps and Qs … an Amazon Echo Dot. Photograph: Nathaniel Noir/AlamyShould we be polite to voice assistants and AIs?The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts This week’s replies: has a call for restraint from an authority figure ever put a stop to war?I always say please and thank you to my Alexa. Why is this? I am sure it doesn’t care. Is it worth being polite to artificial assistants? Alison Williams, TorontoPost your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published next Sunday.Explore more on these topicsAI (artificial intelligence)Notes and queriesComputingfeatures