I think the lamps need a good talking to
A recurring device in Philip K. Dick's work was ubiquitous artificial intelligence -- appliances talked, taxicabs became confessors, and from the perspective of his typically alienated characters, the machines often seemed more humane than the people around them. Well, with voice-activated appliances, some of which talk back, we're getting there. Just without the intelligence.
The training process can be pretty humbling. First of all, you are talking to a household appliance. Second, you are saying the same words over and over, hoping to get your point across. It's embarrassing when you say something important and somebody doesn't understand. It's even more embarrassing when that somebody is your toaster.
This will probably be a great boon for some disabled people. And a great example of a solution without a problem for most everyone else.
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