Why I Say “Thank You” to Alexa

It may seem completely unnecessary, but trust it me, it matters.

“Alexa, what’s the weather today?”

“Today’s forecast is… partly cloudy skies with a high of 45 and a low of 39.”

“Thanks.”

This isn’t a normal conversation to have with a voice-automated device, but it’s one that I have daily.

Now, the first part isn’t that odd—just a simple request for the current weather forecast. But my response to Alexa’s answer could be considered a little weird. Why do I thank her? “She’s not real after all,” you might be saying to yourself. True, but that’s not the point. Here, let me explain.

As voice-automated bots like Amazon’s Alexa become more prevalent in our everyday lives, we’re increasingly leaning on them to answer more of our daily questions and complete more menial tasks than ever before.

They wake us up, play our podcasts, order our food, turn our lights on and off, even read lullabies to our children. But therein lies the hidden danger, we’re inching closer and closer to a world that’s void of an essential and fundamentally human trait: respect.

Now, it’s not the devices that I’m worried about offending with disrespect, instead, it’s the rest of our friends, family…